Mr Greenleaf, I Presume?
by AnnaPhylactic
Summary: LotR Crossover: Hermione bumps into Legolas Greenleaf in the woods one day but has no idea what will happen to Hogwarts because of it... Try not to die of shock, I've actually update PART NINE!
1. Mr Greenleaf, I presume?

Mr Greenleaf, I presume?

Disclaimer: Hermione Granger and the HP universe belongs to JK Rowling (of course), the character of Legolas Greenleaf is the property of JRR Tolkien and the movie version of The Fellowship of the Ring is owned by…

Sometimes I feel quite sorry for Hermione having to put up with two adolescent boys all day long, never getting any thanks for solving all their problems for them, so I decided to give her a present. In this vignette she meets a rather dashing (ok, it's the Orlando Boom/Movie version) young (ish) elf called Legolas Greenleaf, who gives her a bit of a break from 14 year old boys. Go Hermione! (Note: So I may have given Legolas the appearance of the Movie Elf, but I have tried to take his character straight from the book (i.e. by giving him some lines!)

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"Damn boys, damn Quidditch and damn that Ronald Weasley!"

Hermione Granger stamped her way through the Hogwarts grounds, quietly fuming. Another argument had just erupted between her and Ron, with Harry taking Ron's side as usual.

"Why do they have to stick together like demented 5 year olds? Do they have to be so so boyish about everything? They're just so…. _Immature_!"

As she ranted her way away from the castle, and as far as possible from that blinkin Quidditch pitch, Hermione failed to notice how far she had wandered. Before she knew it, she was at the border of the Forbidden Forest.

"Oh, dear me!" She said aloud, as she stopped herself just before her foot came down outside school boundaries. The last thing she wanted was for Ron to have the satisfaction of seeing her in detention for breaking school rules. But just as she turned around to head back, she heard a whimper from inside the trees.

"Fang?"

The whimpering noise carried on, sounding very much like Hagrid's boarhound. Hermione knew that Hagrid was at that moment absent on an errand for Dumbledore, and had left Fang behind under Harry's care. The dog must have escaped from Hagrid's cabin and made his way alone into the forest. Hermione stood still, thinking quickly. With no one with her to go up to the castle for help, she would have to go herself and risk Fang moving further into the wood. If he was seriously hurt, that could very well be dangerous for him. Hermione shivered as she thought of some of the creatures that lived in the depths of the forest… 

No, she decided. She would have to go in herself and find him. If she could hear the hound's whimpering this loudly out of the wood, then he couldn't be too far away.

Carefully, quietly, Hermione entered the Forbidden Forest. She walked in the direction of Fang's cries, trying to keep to the tracks as much as possible. By the time she felt she must be quite near, the whimpers had got quieter and infrequent. Hurrying her pace a little, Hermione soon realised they had stopped altogether.

"Fang?" She called out for the first time, putting aside her fears that someone would hear her with the greater worry that someone or some_thing _had found Fang. 

Hermione stumbled upon a clearing with some flattened grass and animal tracks. Following the tracks, she finally saw in the distance a form bent over a large, fat shape, looking a bit like a beached seal. 

"Fang!" she gasped quietly, surely too quietly for anyone from that distance away to hear. But the figure in the distance, which had been huddled over Fang with a hand upon his back and chanting some kind of spell, immediately stood up and swung round. 

They were tall, and wearing a hooded cloak of grey. Hermione could see little else but for some reason started towards the stranger. They did, after all, have Fang.

"Who are you?" The hooded face asked, as soon as she was close enough to hear his voice.

"Her- Hermione Granger," she faltered, "and that's Hagrid's dog, Fang" she added, indicating the prostrate form behind them. "But who are you?"

Moving closer towards her, the stranger reached his hands up to lower his hood. Hermione took a step back; worried that the hooded figure was dangerous, but as she saw his face for the first time she realised he was not angry, nor even frightening.

It was the face of a - well, she wasn't quite sure what sort of creature he was. She couldn't remember seeing any pictures like him in a library book. He didn't look more than twenty years of age, and yet he had a bearing of wisdom and experience. His soft blonde hair was longer than Hermione's own, hiding ears that curved into a delicate point. He was handsome - that was something Hermione noticed straight away - with a clear impassive face that looked at her with interested grey eyes. He was dressed oddly, underneath the grey cloak his strange garments were all green or brown. Across his back a beautifully carved bow lay alongside a quiver of arrows.

"I am Legolas, son of Thranduil, of the race of elves. You are of the race of man, but you should not be here, Hermione daughter of Granger. This forest is dangerous for you; dark eyes watch your every step. The trees say it is so."

"Huh?" Said Hermione.

The elf turned his head sharply into the darkness of the forest, as if he had heard a noise, although Hermione had heard none. 

"You should leave," he repeated.

"Not without Fang," she said stubbornly. 

"The animal is hurt, attacked by some greater beast. But I must heal his ills before he can safely move."

Hermione was touched by his apparent sympathy for a foreign animal, and more than a little endeared by his earnest manner. But even so, she had learnt long ago that no stranger could be absolutely trusted, and her head was telling her that it could quite easily have been the handsome stranger that injured Fang.

"Listen, Mr, um, Legolas? I don't think that - "

Just as she began to speak Hermione was interrupted by a curious wailing sound, half way between a shriek and a growl, coming from deep inside the forest. Her companion immediately spun round, an arrow already strung on his bow as his eyes spotted something in the darkness, and he fired. 

A distant cry told them that his shot had been accurate.

"How did you…?" Hermione began as the elf stood alert and listening, a second arrow already in place. 

"We should leave, as I said, this forest is dangerous. Whatever it was that attacked this hound would attack you also. From which direction did you come?"

"From the school. From Hogwarts. The grounds are just the other side of the trees."

"Then I will accompany you as far as the leaves extend. But let us go quickly!"

Hermione then watched in amazement as the strange elf then picked up Fang as easily as she would a teddy-bear and hoisted him under his arm. 

Without another word, Hermione followed him.

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"So you're an Elf? But you're nothing like Dobby or any of the other house-elves. I don't remember seeing anyone like you "An Illustrated Guide to Mythical Creatures". Where do you come from?"

"I know not of the House-Elves you speak of. I am of the ancient and long-forgotten Elves of Middle Earth. Most of our kind have long since left their lands, long before the earth moved and all that was familiar changed its form. I myself would be with them now, were it not for some powerful magic that sent me here. That truly is a riddle worth solving."

Hermione thought very carefully. Everything he said was like a riddle to _her_. She couldn't fathom what he meant by 'Middle Earth' or when the earth 'changed it's form'. But she did realise that this must all have happened a very long time ago. 

"If you don't mind me asking, Mr.. um Legolas? How old are you exactly?"

"Many thousands of years by your way of reckoning, but to us time is of little importance. Centuries pass by in the same vein as hours."

"You mean, you're immortal?"

"An Elf can die in battle, or when he no longer wishes to live, if truth be told." 

Hermione's heart seemed to skip a beat. 

"Ohhh! That's so romantic!"

His only reply to that was to look at her curiously, his firmly set mouth twitching slightly, threatening to smile for the first time. Slowing his pace, he looked around them and said, 

"We are approaching the edge of the forest. I must aid the hound if you are both to leave here together."

Putting down the heavy lump that was Fang, he gently went to work on the poor animal's wounds. Hermione set herself down on an old tree stump and watched him in silence. He spoke in a strange language to Fang; one that Hermione supposed was some ancient elvish tongue. It was almost musical in quality, and strangely restful to hear.

But as Hermione gladly relaxed in the pleasantness of this unique meeting, she realised there were no longer just three of them in their section of the wood.

Before Hermione had time to scream, a strong, disgusting arm went around her mouth and another took firm hold of her arm. Struggling against her silent attacker, Hermione began to kick out. Wildly moving her body in any direction she could, her heart pounding with fear.

"Mmmm MMMmmm Mmm!" She tried to scream, but couldn't. The filthy hand over her mouth just forced out mumbling noises. Terrified, she tried desperately to get the attention of her companion, as four more of her assailant's friends came to join them. 

Why wasn't the elf helping her? She couldn't even see him now. He seemed to have blended into the trees somehow. That, or left her altogether, to be attacked alone. Her wand was in her pocket, but her arms were tightly bound to her side by her attacker. Just as she was starting to despair…

Whooosh! An arrow, sent from a very short distance away shimmered past Hermione's hair and into the chest of the creature that was holding her. An awful cry and a loosening grip set her free and her hand went immediately to her pocket.

"Stupefy!" She called loudly at the intruder on her left. The miserable looking creature fell to the ground with a thud.

"Well done, my lady," called the voice of Legolas, appearing from the shade of a large tree. His bow was strung with two arrows, which quickly took care of two more of the creatures, each of them catching an arrowhead in the throat.

As his two friends went down, the last remaining assailant launched himself on the elf, running up behind him.

"Legolas, look OUT!" Hermione cried, but Legolas had already swung himself round, in the process pulling out two long curved knives, which soon worsted the hapless creature before him.

"Oh my," Hermione gasped, quite bewildered, putting one hand to her head. She was feeling quite faint with all this bloodshed, but she didn't want _him _to know that. "What were those things?" She asked.

"Yrch!" He answered, in his own tongue, making the word sound like a swear word to Hermione. "Orcs, your people would call them."

"Orcs," Hermione said slowly, getting her breath back, "I've never heard of them."

"They died out many ages ago. There should no longer be any here that much is certain. Whatever magic it was that brought me here would bring these enemies too, I fear."

"But they - " Hermione was interrupted by the sudden growling of Fang, who appeared to have recovered from his ordeal.

The dog leapt into the trees behind him, barking furiously. They heard a bite, and another agonised cry, and a solitary arrow went swerving away from them both, knocked off its course. Legolas and Hermione rushed after Fang and found him tearing at the leg of a sixth orc, a bow still gripped in its hand, despite the pain in its leg.

"Fang, no! You'll get hurt again!" Hermione cried out, the dog letting go briefly at the sound of her voice. It was time enough for the Orc, which began to scamper away the minute its leg was free. But the elf was too quick, and an arrow in the back of its head stopped it dead in its tracks. 

Hermione was quite speechless this time, and allowed Legolas to take her arm to draw her away from the strewn bodies and back in the direction of the school. He gave Fang a comradely pat, and the animal, now quite recovered, trotting along beside them, confident he had done his duty admirably.

Hermione, feeling much safer to be moving away from danger, especially with the alert eyes of her companion watching closely the dark trees, reflected on what had just happened. It wasn't her first meeting with murderous creatures. But, Hermione realised to herself, it was possibly the first time when she had not been preoccupied with protecting Harry from danger, and had time to think about her own. The first time that someone had been preoccupied with protecting _her_, rather than someone else. And, despite the fact that she was a courageous and little soul, that feeling was quite refreshing. Of course it didn't hurt that her rescuer was so decorative either. Or that he had superhuman capabilities. In fact, it was pretty cool.

"So…um," Hermione turned to Legolas, "do elves ever get married then?"

The tall elf turned to her and smiled. 

"They do, but rarely to mortals."

"Oh?" Hermione voice sounded disappointed. "Why's that then?"

"We're here," was all Legolas replied, indicating the shape of Hogwarts castle in the distance. "I will leave you now," he explained, "You will be safe. I must return to the heart of the forest and seek answers to the riddles hidden there. And if I am right, perhaps I will come across some old friends."

The Elf's face had a wistful expression upon it, as he spoke these words, and Hermione was touched by it.

"Will _you _be safe," she asked, "what with Orcs and who-knows what else in there? I'm sure Professor Dumbledore - "

" - The trees will hide me, and I have more chance of finding the answers I seek in the forest. But I must thank you for your help, Hermione. And return to you your weapon, you dropped it earlier."

Legolas stretched out a strong pale hand that was holding Hermione's wand. She must have lost it after she attacked the Orc.

"Thank you," she answered "but its not a weapon - it's a wand."

"You have good sense, young one, I wish you luck!" The elf replied, readjusting the bow in his hand.

"And you - Legolas!" Hermione called after him, as he retreated back into the shade of the trees. 

"Well Fang!" She exclaimed to the dog next to her, "Who is going to believe us about any of that?"

But Fang was no help. He just barked and wagged his tail.

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Harry and Ron couldn't quite bring themselves to believe everything that Hermione had told them. In fact, Ron was so surprised that he had stopped eating his roast beef.

"You mean he _talks to trees_?" He was asking Hermione.

"Not just trees. He made Fang better straight away, and he could shoot Orcs through the trees where it was too dark to see anything!"

"Sounds like a lucky shot to me…" mumbled Ron.

Harry was looking at Hermione carefully. She wouldn't have made all of this up just to annoy Ron. "Are you sure he wasn't dangerous, Hermione?" He asked.

"I've _told _you, he saved my life! And he kept talking about a riddle; he didn't know why he was in the Forbidden Forest. That's why he went back."

"Sounds like a nutter to me," Ron said, recovering, and helping himself to more potatoes. "Wandering round the forest, not knowing where he is, talking to trees… Think he's better off in there."

"Oh honestly, Ron!" Cried Hermione, visibly upset, "I'd forgotten how childish you can be some times. Its amazing the difference you see after spending the day with someone with a bit more maturity!" And Hermione stormed away from the Gryffindor table, without having had any pudding.

"And with someone who's named after plastic bricks!" Ron muttered, reaching for the apple crumble.

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The End. Please Read/Review


	2. The HalfGiant and the Dwarf

_The Half-Giant and the Dwarf_

Disclaimer:  Lord of the Rings was created by Tolkien of course, Harry Potter by JK Rowling.  I don't owe them – I'm just playing with them!

Harry, Ron and Hermione were enjoying tea in Hagrid's cabin.  Hagrid seemed usually excited about something, and the three were anxious to make him tell them what was up.

"Yer know I can't tell yer anythin' so stop trying ter get stuff out a' me," Hagrid wagged his finger at them accusingly.

"Why can't you tell us, Hagrid?" Harry asked curiously.  

"Someone told me not ter," Hagrid winked knowingly.

"Was it Dumbledore?" Ron suggested eagerly.

"What's happened to the pumpkin patch, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.  She was stood by the window of Hagrid's log cabin, staring out at the pumpkin patch.  Only two days before there had been several large fat pumpkins growing. Now they had all disappeared.  "I thought you were letting them grow until Halloween?"

Hagrid looked up at Hermione warningly.  "I gave 'em away," he said carefully.

"Who to?" 

"Just someone who came by.  And happen you three should be making your way back to school by now.  It's getting' late.  I'll see yer all in lessons tomorrow."

Ron grumbled as the three trudged back up to school.  

"Good one, Hermione!  Why'd you ask Hagrid that?  Who cares about pumpkins?  We were just getting on to something there.  Hagrid was about to tell us something, I could feel it."

"You weren't getting anywhere, Ron Weasley, and you know it!  And think about it – Hagrid prises his pumpkins like rubies and diamonds.  There's no way he'd just give them away this close to Halloween without a good reason.  Maybe it has something to do with his big secret?"

Ron snorted.  "Ha!  The great pumpkin mystery!  If that's Hagrid's secret I think I'd rather not know."

Harry yawned loudly.  "Leave it, you two.  You know Hagrid - he can't keep a secret for long.  We'll find out what's up soon enough."

As the three made their way into the school, they failed to notice someone passing them in the opposite direction.  The person was walking back towards Hagrid's cabin, and soon they were knocking on the great oak door.

"Ah, Professor, would yer like a cup a' tea?"  Hagrid smiled at his visitor.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said politely.  "And I must say I'm very curious to hear this story of yours.  What _exactly did you say this creature was?"_

"A dwarf," Hagrid said proudly, getting ready to tell his tale.  "But he wasn't like any dwarf I ever heard of, that's for certain.  Yer see, it all started just the other day – out there in the pumpkin patch…"

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_Two days earlier_

Hagrid left his cabin early, swinging a large spade by his side.

"Let's see if those pumpkins are ready yet, Fang," he said happily to his dog.  "Dumbledore's expectin' some really good ones this year."

Fang barked in reply and Hagrid scratched him on the head.  

"Alrigh' – maybe I'll save some fer you too," Hagrid chuckled.

But as he reached the plot, Hagrid realised at once that something was wrong.  Just one night before there had been twelve beautiful pumpkins growing.  Now, there were only six.

"What the..?"  Hagrid pulled at his beard and looked about him, as if expecting the culprit to be standing somewhere nearby.  But there was nobody there - just the school playing fields, and, in the distance, the dark overhanging trees of the Forbidden Forest.  

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"Now, if any one of yer knows somethin' about me pumpkins, I want yer to come out with it.  If it's a practical joke or somethin' then I don't care.  I just want to know.  Them pumpkins were for the Halloween feast, and I need to know what happened to them."

Hagrid sighed at the blank faces staring back at him.  It was unlikely that any of his first year Care of Magical Creatures class would know anything about his pumpkins, but it was worth a try.  He'd rather be asking Draco Malfoy or one of his Slytherin gang, but he didn't take them until Monday.

"Alrigh' – get back ter work," he gestured at them.

Still later, when Hagrid was chopping wood, he was still puzzling over the missing pumpkins.

"I jus' don' understand how six could go missing from righ'… under… me nose!" he puffed, as he swung his heavy axe up and down.  "Some guard-dog you turned out ter be, Fang… Fang?"

The sleepy bloodhound was not in his usual spot by Hagrid's front door, and soon Hagrid could hear a familiar growl and barking coming from the back of the cabin.

Flinging his axe over his shoulder, Hagrid hurried round the side of his house to see what all the commotion was.  What he saw when he got there was a small, round person in heavy chain mail carrying something very round and very heavy.

"Me pumpkins!" Hagrid shouted out.  "Ere you!  Stop!"  

The small person drop the pumpkin and started to run, with Fang close on his heels.  Hagrid started after them too.

"Get off me, you hound!" the person shouted as Fang reached him and started to chew on his ankle.  "Aaagghh!"

"Fang, down!" Hagrid called the dog off, then grasped hold of the little creature in front of him.

"Who are you?" he asked, puzzled.

"I'm Gimli, son of Gloin, and may I warn you that if you don't remove your hand, you may lose it," the creature spat, grasping his own axe fiercely.

Hagrid let him go and pointed at the pumpkin.  "That's my food you're takin' and I'm betting you know what happened to the other six too.  I've been growing them fer Dumbledore and the Halloween feast.  Now half a' them are gone!"

Gimli had the decency to look a little ashamed.  "I am sorry to have taken was wasn't mine, but I have felt hunger like nothing else this past week.  The Orcs in the forest have taken everything.  It is the most I can do to fight them and stay alive.  But I believe they cannot leave the forest.  I have been safe out here."

Hagrid took another look at the creature.  He barely reached past Hagrid's knees but he was a stout fellow though, as Hagrid saw, he looked worn and tired.  He found himself feeling a little sorry for Gimli son of Gloin.

"Orcs?"

"Enemies of the Dwarves and of all true-hearted creatures.  See what they have driven me to?  Theft!  Theft and starvation!  They would take the heart out of a man as soon as they would take his life.  You don't know of them?"

"Nah," Hagrid said.  "And I know 'most everythin' that lives in the forest.  I'm Hagrid," he nodded, "Gamekeeper of Hogwarts."

Gimli nodded back and his glance took in Hagrids heavy axe, still balanced across his shoulder.

"I offer my apologies for stealing your wares, but their sustenance has kept me alive," the dwarf said sadly.  "I am in your debt, master Hagrid."

"It's jus' Hagrid," Hagrid smiled.  "Why don't yer come in fer a cuppa?"

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"Cheery little chap, he was," Hagrid mused, tugging at his beard.  "Specially with a few jars in 'im.  Real good with an axe too – he chopped that whole pile 'a wood out in the yard.  I give 'im the pumpkins as payment."

"What was he doing in the forest?" Dumbledore asked.  "He doesn't sound like the dwarves we are used to seeing."

"Nah, he weren't nothing common," Dumbledore answered.  "He said he came from a place called Middle-Earth.  Never 'eard 'a Hogwarts.  Didn't know why he was here.  Said his home was some place called the Glittering Caves.  He sounded real sad ter be 'ere.  I felt right sorry for him, I did."

Dumbledore looked at Hagrid curiously.  "I wonder…" he said slowly.

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"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked, as Harry set up the chess board between them.

"Went back to Hagrid's," Harry explained.  "She realised she left her Herbology book there when we were having tea."

"Ah of course," Ron clicked his fingers.  "How awful if her homework had to wait until _tomorrow."_

Harry just smiled, and started the game.

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But Hermione wasn't in Hagrid's cabin.  In fact, she was just outside of it, listening.  She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but, hearing the voice of the headmaster inside, she had decided not to knock but wait outside until he and Hagrid were finished.  But the kitchen window was open, and Hagrid's booming voice travelled easily on the night air.  And soon, Hermione was listening despite herself.

Now, two words rang in her ears.  _Middle-Earth._

She had heard them before, of course.  

She had not seen or heard of the elf Legolas since the afternoon they had met in the forest, but she had not forgotten.  In fact, she had played events over and over in her mind ever since.  Legolas had said he had been brought here, presumably against his will, and whatever had brought _him to Hogwarts had brought evil creatures as well.  The disgusting orcs that had attacked her and Fang and…. Could it be?  This creature that Hagrid was describing to Dumbledore.  Could the appearance of the dwarf Gimli be another riddle for Legolas to solve?  For he too described himself as a citizen of Middle-Earth, as Legolas had done.  _

Was Legolas in danger?

Not for the first time, Hermione contemplated telling Dumbledore of her meeting with the elf.  But how could she just burst in and explain how she had overheard the Headmaster's and Hagrid's private conversation and had something to add?  Besides, how could she prove any of her story was true?  It had happened weeks ago.  No, if anything was to be done, she would have to be the one to do it.  She had to find Legolas and warn him that more creatures were appearing and that he might be in danger.  She had to find him.

Gritting her teeth and checking her wand, Hermione set off at a run for the forest.


	3. Hermione and Legolas

Hermione and Legolas

A/N:  Sorry for the long delay between chapters.  I'll try and speed things up a little!  Anyway, there's lots of Legolas in this chapter – to keep us all going!

Hermione was cold and beginning to wish she'd gone back to the castle to get some supplies before she set out for the forest.  The night was bitter and foreboding and the forest could be a scary place at night.  She had seen no sign of the elf, Legolas.  Fearful of calling his name, in case she drew the attention of those filthy orcs once more, she had tried to track him, but saw no sign of anyone living hand-to-mouth within the dark trees.

"This is ridiculous!" she said to herself crossly.  "Why you ever thought you could find him in all of this…  And if you're caught here you'll be expelled – there's no excuse this time!  I should go back to the school.  Maybe I can talk to Hagrid tomorrow about that dwarf he met – maybe he'll know something."

Having decided to go home, Hermione turned around, but suddenly, she realised she had no idea where she was…

The track she had started on had disappeared and none of the surrounding trees looked the least bit familiar to her.  With a sudden jolt of fear, Hermione took in her surroundings.  The tall dark trees were so interwoven above her that she couldn't see the stars and the air seem to carry whispers and secrets she'd rather not know.

_I don't like it here, she thought to herself.  Steeling herself into some sort of action, she used the light of her wand to fight her way back in the direction she thought she'd come, hoping against hope she would come across the warm lights of the Hogwarts castle shining through the darkness._

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Ron yawned loudly and stretched his arms out wide.

"What time is it?" 

Harry stopped putting the chess pieces away and looked at his watch.  

"About midnight – wow, we've been playing for hours."

"I still haven't done my transfiguration homework," Ron realised with a groan.  "Can I copy yours?"

Harry threw his parchment across to Ron.  

"I wonder where Hermione's got to?  I didn't see her in the common room this evening.  She can't still be at Hagrid's?"

Ron snorted.  "She's probably still sulking somewhere.  She'll come in a minute.  She's been acting really weird lately."

Harry just nodded.  "Well, I'm off to bed.  Goodnight," he said tiredly.

"Night, Harry," Ron called, reaching for his quill.  He thought he'd finish his homework, then wait for Hermione.  Then he'd have a chance to apologise.

----------------------

But Hermione was not anywhere near the castle, and she was feeling increasingly frightened.  She had been wandering in circles for nearly an hour, but had found nothing that might lead her back to Hogwarts.  Every time she thought she'd found a familiar path, it became a dead end.  Hungry and exhausted, she flung herself down on a rock, dejected.  Sniffing a little (because she was _not going to cry – oh no!), she reached into a pocket of her school robes to try and find a packet of mints.  As she looked down, her ears picked up a rustling noise and her head shot up sharply.  Gripping her wand, she stood up slowly, looking all around her._

There it was again!  She spun round in the direction of the sound and caught a glimpse of something white in the darkness.  She rushed forward with her wand, pointing where the white patch had been.

"_Stupefy!" she shouted, but as she did so a firm hand grasped her wrist and pushed her wand away.  Too scared to scream, Hermione held her breath as she was turned around to face her silent attacker, then couldn't find it for a different reason as she saw who had taken hold of her._

"Do you always attack unicorns in the dark, Hermione Granger?" Legolas the elf spoke to her, a light of mirth in his eyes.

His grip on her arm had relaxed, but he had not let go, and Hermione was speechless.

"I… oh my," she breathed.

He guided her back to the rock she had been sat upon earlier, and passed her a small container of water he carried.

"What are you doing in the forest, Hermione, and under the fall of darkness?"

Hermione took a sip of the water and it seemed to revive her instantly, although for some reason, she couldn't stop blushing.

"I came looking for you," she explained.  "I was worried about you."

The elf looked at her with his piecing blue eyes.

"Why should you be worried about me?" he wondered.

"Listen, Legolas, there's something…. Wait a minute," Hermione interrupted herself, "did you say _unicorn just now?"_

Legolas nodded and let out a low, melodic whistle.  Instantly, a beautiful adult unicorn appeared from the darkness, her beautiful silver-white transparency taking Hermione's breath away once more.

"You were about to attack Gawen," Legolas smiled, who turned and spoke in a low elvish tongue to the beautiful creature.  

"Oh!  I'm so sorry!"

Gawen bent down her head to Hermione, as if in forgiveness.

"She will carry you," Legolas said, "it is not safe for us to speak here.  We mustn't linger."

Obediently, Hermione carefully mounted the unicorn as Legolas set off at a run through the forest.  They soon lost sight of him, but Garwen seemed to know where they were headed.  After a few exhilarating minutes, she drew up at the bottom of a wide, tall tree.  Legolas was waiting beside it.  

"I must carry you – I'm afraid I have no rope."

Then, before Hermione had time to think, Legolas had lifted her easily over his shoulder and they were climbing the tree.  The elf sprang from branch to branch with incredible ease – Hermione felt certain they must fall – but they arrived safely at a wide platform that had been built high up in the boughs of the tree.

"What is this place?" Hermione asked in wonderment, once Legolas put her lightly down on the flett.

"This is how elves live," Legolas said.  "And we are safe here – orcs do not like trees."

Hermione took brief glance down over the edge of the platform, then rather wished she hadn't.  It was a long way down.

"You have something you wish to tell me?" he asked.

"Yes… how did you know?" Hermione asked.

"It has been many weeks since we met, this forest is dangerous for you – and you came here looking for me," Legolas smiled.

"Yes I did," Hermione said, finding her tongue at last to tell the tale.  "You see, I think someone else has been brought here from middle-earth…"

--------------------

"Ai!  Gimli son of Gloin!  How I wish to see him again!" Legolas cried out, at the end of Hermione's story.  "It is many years since we were last together, in the grey havens."

"He's a friend of yours then?" Hermione asked curiously.  "Not like the orcs?"

"No – Gimli has nothing of an orc.  Indeed he would sever your hand from its arm were you to suggest such a thing!  He is a dwarf – and the truest companion of all the ages!  I should feel more than comforted to have a friend like Gimli by my side.  Though to be true, I have found allies in the forest who would help me – the unicorns and the centaurs would be my friends; but they understand little of the riddle of my being here.  And now the story is to have another twist!  Oh, that Gandalf the White were here – some answers might then be had!"

"Who is Gandalf the White?" Hermione asked, liking the curious name.

"A very wise and powerful wizard," Legolas said gravely.  "He was once a great guide to my friends and me.  He would be sure to know what is afoot here."

"Dumbledore is the cleverest wizard that I know of," Hermione said thoughtfully.  "He's our headmaster at Hogwarts.  Maybe he could help us?"

Legolas turned to her. 

"He is to be trusted?"

"Oh, absolutely!"  Hermione said.

"Then mayhap you will speak with him, once you return."

"I tried to find my way back to the castle earlier, but I got lost.  Do you know the way back?"

Legolas shook his head.  "Not in this blackness.  Evil breeds within this forest at night.  Perhaps by light of day we should have more luck.  Though to be sure, we have some distance to travel.  I will accompany you tomorrow, I must speak with this Hagrid, and find news of my friend Gimli."

Hermione thought happily of appearing at the school accompanied by Legolas, and wondered vaguely if Ron would be around to see it.  Involuntarily she shivered, as the night cold got through her thin robes.

Legolas glanced at her.

"My apologies, Hermione, I have been forgetting humans feel the cold more than we.  It is some time since I have enjoyed the company of your people."

He undid his own cape, a thick grey affair, woven of some magical material that was both soft and warm.  He wrapped it around Hermione's shoulders.  She looked up at his handsome face wistfully.

"Don't elves feel the cold?" she whispered.

Legolas shook his delicate head.  "No, but we feel what is worse.  We hear the cries of the trees as the frost settles in, we hear the moan of the winter wind as it spreads its desolation.  There is more to a winter breeze than its chill, Hermione Granger, something deeper."

Then he started to sing to her.  A curious lament, for the loss of the sun and for the warmth of spring.  Strangely, she felt as if she understood every word, even though Legolas sang in his own tongue.  She fell asleep then, as she listened to his song, in the warmth of the elvish blanket that somehow seemed more comfortable even than her four-poster at Hogwarts.  And as she slept, she dreamed…

--------------------

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked at breakfast, as he and Harry took their places at the Gryffindor table.

Harry looked up and down the faces around them.  

"Well she's not here – did you speak to her last night?"

"I didn't _see her last night.  I was doing my work till nearly two and she didn't come in," Ron said worriedly.  "Are you sure she didn't come in while we were playing chess?"_

Harry shrugged and called to Lavender, who was in Hermione's dormitory.  "Lavender!  Was Hermione still in bed when you came down to breakfast today?"

Lavender looked up from whispering with her friends to look enigmatically at Harry and Ron.

"No she wasn't – and she wasn't in it last night either.  It hasn't been slept in."

Harry looked at Ron blankly.

"You don't think something's happened to her?"

"Maybe she fell asleep in the library," Ron suggested.  "It wouldn't be the first time."

"We should go and look for her," Harry suggested.  "Maybe she's not well."

"We've got Care of Magical Creatures in half an hour," Ron said checking his watch.  

"That's enough time to check all the obvious places," Harry said, hurriedly drinking up his orange juice.  "Come on."

----------------------------

The first thing Hermione saw as she awoke was Legolas, stood completely still and leaning into the forest, as if listening to it.  He was turned away from her so she took the chance to look at him admiringly for a few minutes.  He was really was the most amazing creature she had ever met and she couldn't quite believe everything that was happening.  Eventually though, she stirred, and Legolas turned around straight away at the slight noise she made.

"We must leave immediately," he said.

"Oh, good morning," was all Hermione replied, trying not to sound bad tempered.  She wasn't a morning person.

"I am sorry to rush you, but it is dangerous for us to travel through the forest – even during the day - and those inside it are beginning to stir.  We must set off at once if we are to reach your school in safety."

Hermione started to pull herself together straight away, but she was very hungry and her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Sorry," she muttered, embarrassed.  "I haven't eaten anything for ages."

"Here," Legolas handed her something small.  It was some kind of bread or biscuit.  "It's called _Lembas."_

Legolas lifted her once more and they climbed down the tree to the ground.  Setting off on foot, they went together through the forest in search of Hogwarts.  

To be continued… soon I hope!  Please read/review     


	4. Harry and the King of Gondor

Harry and the King of Gondor

"Legolas, watch out!"  Hermione called out, but her warning wasn't needed as Legolas had set the arrow upon his bow even before she had spoken.  She turned around as she heard the creature that had been following them fall to the ground with a cry of pain.

"I thought you said Orcs couldn't travel by daylight," she said, a little impatiently.  That was the third one they'd had on their tail since they'd set out that morning.

"These are not Orcs," Legolas said, shaking his head a little.  "When I collected my arrow from that last creature, I realised that."

"Then what are they?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I believe they are Uruk-hai warriors," Legolas said grimly.  "Half-orc and half goblin.  They have not seen them in the forest before now – it seems that not only has my friend Gimli been brought here recently."

"Oh well, great!  Just what we needed.  Even stronger fighting things that want to kill us," Hermione said loudly, letting off some steam.

"There do not appear to be many of them," Legolas said confidently, reattaching his bow and quiver across his back. "I have faced far greater numbers and not met with defeat.  I believe we will be safe enough."

Hermione just nodded silently.  

"Come," Legolas reached for her hand.  "We must not linger."

---------------------------------

"Harry, I'm telling you, she's just gone off somewhere.  She was in a right mood yesterday."

Harry looked at Ron disbelievingly.  "Where is she then?  We've looked everywhere.  She can't be in the castle."

"She'll turn up, Harry!"

"You don't think… you don't think she'd have gone looking for that Legolas bloke, do you?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Ron raised his eyebrows.  "That stupid elf she kept talking about?  Why would she?"

"She kept saying he was stranded in the forest – that he needed help."

"He also thought he came from a different planet or something," Ron remembered, eyebrows raised.  "I don't think Hermione'll have much luck helping _him - unless she takes him to a mental institution."_

"If she went to find him she must've gone into the forest.  She could be in trouble."

For the first time, Ron started to look seriously worried.  

"If she is in the forest, we'll need Hagrid," Harry said decisively.  "We've got Care of Magical Creatures now – why don't we go and tell him about it.  Let's take the long way round to Hagrid's cabin.  We might see something."

"Okay," Ron agreed.

---------------------------------

"Remind me again, Harry – just what are we looking for out here?"  Ron asked impatiently.  They were bordering the edge of the Forbidden Forest and had wandered far from Hagrid's cabin.

"I don't know exactly," Harry admitted.  "But if she has gone looking for that elf, she must have come by this way."

"We're late," Ron said, staring uneasily into the dark trees.  "And we've got to speak to Hagrid on his own, remember, if we're going to find Hermione in _there."_

"We will find her, Ron, I – MMmmm!"

A hand had come out of the forest behind them and grabbed Harry.  Ron immediately reached for his wand but soon found his wrist bound in a tight grab.

"Hey, let go!" Ron cried.

"Be silent!  I will not hurt you!" A low voice murmured, stepping out of the trees.  Letting go of Harry, he pushed him and Ron behind a large tree, out of sight.

Harry and Ron stared curiously at the stranger.  He was covered in a large black hooded cloak that shadowed his face, but as he moved they could see the sign of fine robes underneath.  He appeared to be wearing some kind of long grey tunic and hanging from his waist was an enormous and magnificent sword.

"Fear not, boy," the stranger spoke again, seeing Ron's eyes on his sword.  "I will not raise Imladris against you."

"Who are you?" Harry asked in wonderment.

"My name is Aragorn," the man said softly.  "And your name is?"

"Harry, Harry Potter."

Aragorn inclined his head ever so slightly in greeting.  But he did not flinch at the name, nor automatically look for the scar as most strangers did upon meeting Harry.

"You… you don't know who I am?" he asked uncertainly.

Aragorn looked at him curiously.  "There is a reason your name should be familiar to me?"

"Er, no," Harry mumbled, embarrassed.  

"I'm Ron," Ron said loudly, "And what exactly do you want with us?" he asked.

"Sshh!  There are dangerous creatures within the trees, who will be drawn by the sound of a voice such as yours."  With this warning, Aragorn dropped quickly to the ground and listened intently to the earth.  Ron and Harry stared at him amazed.  After a minute or too he rose, dusting off his hands.  "I think we are safe."

Ron, looking pointedly at Harry, turned to the stranger.

"You don't happen to know an elf called Legolas, do you?"

----------------------------

Hagrid dismissed his class and started to collect the multi-colour newts into their container again.

"I don' know what happened ter Harry, Ron and Hermione," he told Fang.  "I hope they're not in trouble or nothin', just when things've been so quiet round 'ere."

As he spoke, Fang got to his feet, ran a little in the direction of the forest and started to bark loudly.

"What is it now, you ol' coward," Hagrid said affectionately, going up to give Fang a pat on the head.  "There's nothin' in there that isn't always in there."

But Fang kept barking and trotting to and fro distractedly, so that Hagrid kept his eyes on the trees in the distance.  Soon he was rewarded by the sight of two people heading towards them at a run.  One of the pair was wearing Hogwarts robes.

"That's Hermione!" Hagrid called out in amazement.  "Who's that she's with?"

Her companion was moving quickly too, but barely seemed to be running he was making so little effort.  He was tall and thin and had a large quiver of arrows attached to his back.  Hagrid looked on in amazement as the two approached, while Fang barked and ran about excitedly.

"Hagrid!" Hermione called, reaching him at last.  "Hagrid, I've got so much to tell you!"

Fang had gone straight up to her companion, who recognised the bloodhound instantly.

"Hagrid, this is Legolas, he's an elf from Middle-Earth."

"Middle-… Hermione, where did you here that?" Hagrid said sternly.  

"From Legolas!" Hermione gasped, trying to catch her breath.  "I met him weeks ago in the forest – but when I overheard you and Dumbledore talking about that dwarf, I heard it again and went to find Legolas you see –"

"Gimli!"  At last the elf spoke.  But it was not to Hermione or Hagrid but to the dwarf that had just emerged from Hagrid's cabin.

Gimli too, had seen Legolas.

"Legolas?  Legolas, my friend, is it you?"

"To be sure!  Why Gimli, my dear old Gimli, it is surely something to be united with you again.  At last, a pleasant twist to the riddle!"

"Why, Legolas, you speak as if we had not seen one another for many years!  Why I saw you only last month when you visited my family in the Glittering Caves."

"Last month…" Legolas repeated.

"You have been in this place longer?" Gimli asked.

"Yes, mayhap, but that is not why I stopped so.  Gimli son of Gloin, I have not seen you for many an age.  I was brought to this land from the Grey Havens, to which both you and I departed many years ago.  Indeed, you left the mortal world some time since.  Many times have the leaves fallen since I last set eyes upon you."

Gimli stared blankly at his friend. 

"The last time I spoke with you – this last month as I mentioned – we discussed the Grey Havens.  You spoke of leaving now that King Elessar was dead."

"Legolas, is something wrong?" Hermione asked, not understanding a word of the conversation so far.

"Hermione!" Legolas turned to her.  "Hermione, this is Gimli, son of Gloin, the friend I spoke of from times past.  But it would seem as if his past is somewhat different to mine."  

"Different?" Hermione repeated.  "In what way, Legolas?"

"We have brought here from different times.  I told you that elves were immortal, Hermione."  She nodded at him, remembering.  "Then you will believe me when I tell you that although Gimli and I have both been brought here from Middle-Earth, we have been brought hundreds of years apart."

"By how could that be, old friend?" Gimli asked, staring closely at the elf.  

"It is a riddle I am not wise enough to solve," Legolas shook his head.  

"Well I'm fair kerflumaxed, I'll tell you that for nothin'," Hagrid said, scratching his beard and looking at Hermione with a shrug.

"If only Gandalf were here!" Gimli sighed.  "He'd know why we were stuck here."

As Gimli spoke, Legolas heard a noise in the distance and whipped his head round, scanning the landscape with his eyes.  Suddenly, his head fixed upon something, something that caused him to gasp.  

Hearing him, Hermione, Gimli and Hagrid turned to face him.

"No… no, it cannot be…" he whispered, his face displaying his confusion for the others to see.  Gimli's eyes widened.

"Is it Gandalf?  Has he come?" he shouted excitedly.

Hermione's eyes eventually caught some movement in the distance that soon appeared to be three people walking towards them.

"No, Gimli, Gandalf the White is not come to us," Legolas spoke at last, his voice clear and full of emotion.  "It is the King that has returned to us out of the darkness… Aragorn son of Arathorn walks again."

Gimli stared at his friend in amazement.  Until he could see it with his own eyes he uttered no sound.  Only then did he speak.

"Aragorn," he breathed.  "Aragorn is alive?"

To be continued…


	5. Two Wise Wizards

Two Wise Wizards

A/N:  Some people asked how old Hermione is in the story.  I think her and Harry and Ron are all about 15.  This is kind of an AU book 5.

Hagrid set down the enormous teapot with a shaking hand.  He wasn't quite sure what to make of the curious collection of guests currently seated around his cabin, but he was sure he wouldn't often see the like of it.

Besides Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fang, there was the dwarf he had befriended recently when he had been hungry and looking for food – Gimli son of Gloin.  Then there was the strange Elf Hermione had brought with her, Legolas, standing by the window, and, sat beside the latter, was Aragorn, son of Arathorn, to whom Gimli referred to as King Elessar.  Hagrid shook his head as he poured the tea out.  No, he'd never had such a strange group in his house before.

Hagrid went to sit by Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were all perched on Hagrid's enormous bed, what with the cabin lacking enough chairs for each of the visitors.  

"What do yer make of this lot then, 'Arry?" he asked, offering a plate of biscuits.

"I don't know Hagrid," Harry said honestly.  "They all seem quite surprised to see each other."

"I think they're all mental," Ron muttered, glaring at Aragorn and Legolas who were speaking elvish in low tones by the window.  "Talking about riddles and "Middle-Earth", and saying _thee and __thou all the time.  I say we take them to Madam Pomfrey – they're probably confunded."_

"You would think that, Ron," Hermione answered impatiently.  "Don't you think there's a chance they might be telling the truth?"

"The truth?" Ron raised his eyebrows.  "Oh yes, of course, I was forgetting.  They've been brought forward in time – though not from the _same_ time – to the Forbidden Forest for no apparent reason other than a friendly reunion.  Oh, and they all have absolutely no idea why, or how to get back.  With a story like that, why wouldn't I believe them?" he asked sarcastically.  Hermione just glared at him.  "Why don't we ask your immortal friend, Hermione?  You'd think if he's really been around all these thousand of years, he'd know a few things."

"He does know things," Hermione said hurriedly.  "He knows what those horrible creatures in the forest are.  And he knows how to kill them."

"There's been some terrible thing's in the forest the past few weeks," Hagrid agreed, nodding his shaggy head.  "Bin' causin' a lot of trouble too."

"Well if he's so good at killing things, what's to say he won't try it out on us, Hermione?" Ron hissed, keeping his voice down.  "That dwarf tried to steal from Hagrid, and Aragorn nearly attacked Harry and I when we bumped into him this morning.  These people could be criminals just escaped from Azkaban for all we know!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron."  Hermione was cross now.  "Padfoot's the only person who's ever escaped from Azkaban.  These three aren't criminals – I believe they're who they say they are.  At any rate, I know Legolas is good.  He helped save Fang and me when we got lost in the forest, and he took care of me last night."

"Last night?" Ron was amazed.  "That's where you were last night?"

"Oh Ron!  I went looking for Legolas.  I was worried about him, after I heard Hagrid talking about Gimli.  For Merlin's sake, don't you understand?  Some dark magic has brought them here, and none of them know why, but we've got to help them find out.  Don't you agree, Harry?"

Harry was silent at first, thinking deeply.  At last he got up, and walked over to where Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas sat talking.

"Er, excuse me, Aragorn, but um, we've been talking and I think that you should tell us everything you know.  About the creatures in the forest I mean, and why you were brought here.  Then maybe we should go and see Dumbledore – he's our headmaster and a very power wizard.  I'm sure he can help us."

Aragorn opened his mouth to reply but as he spoke, the door swept open and two tall, white-haired and bearded persons walked into the room.  Both were dressed in wizard robes.

"There's no need, Harry," Dumbledore smiled down at him.  "We have come to see you instead, and – ah yes! – we're just in time for tea, I see.  If you would be so kind, Hagrid?"

Hagrid got up immediately and began to bustle about, warming the teapot once more.  

"Of course, Headmaster, and will your companion be wanting some?" he asked blankly, glancing at the tall wizard behind Dumbledore.

"Oh, do forgive me," Dumbledore turned slightly towards his guest.  "For those of you who don't know him, this is Gandalf the White."

-----------------------

"Ah!  The three hunters – and three dear old friends, reunited at last!  How it gladdens me to see you all once more."  Gandalf smiled, turning to the three that had bowed upon his entering.

"We might have wished for a less puzzling reunion, Gandalf," Gimli replied gruffly, straightening up.

"Indeed, Master Dwarf, we may have, but we get what we are given, do we not?"  

"We wish that we knew what we were given, Sir," Legolas said gravely.  "We are all puzzled as to the reason of our being here."

"Is it possible you know something, Gandalf," Aragorn spoke at last, rising from his chair.  "Something we do not?"

Gandalf went forward to meet Aragorn.  

"It is good to see you, Your Majesty, and dressed so regally.  The last time we met you were looking not so well kept, I must say."  Aragorn looked at Gandalf quizzically.  Gandalf continued.  "I too have arrived here from a different point of history than the three of you – one in which you were not yet King of Gondor, Aragorn."

"And yet you yourself are Gandalf the White – not the Grayhame of old," Legolas noted.  Gandalf smiled at him.

"Gandalf, I ask you for the last time – do you know the answer to this riddle!" Gimli almost shouted.

"Patience, Master Dwarf," Gandalf raised a hand.  "I believe I do know something, but first, first I would like some tea."

-------------------

Dumbledore used magic to produce some more chairs and to extend Hagrids table so that it nearly filled the whole cabin.  They all took a seat; Dumbledore and Gandalf sat at opposite ends, Hagrid next to Dumbledore.  Harry, Ron and Hermione sat opposite the three hunters – Dumbledore had made sure Gimli's chair was a little higher than the others.  Hermione chose the seat opposite Legolas and gave him a friendly smile.  Fang too, chose to be near the Elf and settled himself comfortably over Legolas' feet.

"Well now, Gentleman - and Lady," Gandalf nodded to Hermione, "here we all are.  A little unexpectedly perhaps, but I'm sure that although Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and myself are strangers to these parts, we couldn't have wished for a warmer welcome than we have received here at Hogwarts."

The others murmured in agreement and Legolas glanced at Hermione with a look that thrilled her to the bone.

"I for one must say how refreshing it is to be amongst my own kind here," Gandalf smiled congenially.  "It is comforting to know that in the future there will be schools such as this to teach our ways to the younger generation.  I don't remember such a collection of witches and wizards together in Middle-Earth at all.  Of course, there never were a great many witches in those times, I'm sad to say, though there was one once…"

"Ahem," Aragorn cleared his throat.

"Oh, yes, but where was I?" Gandalf stirred himself out of his reverie.  Harry caught Ron's eye and had to smother a smile.  "Ah yes, of course!  The reason we are here – I suspect that is was concerns us most?"

"Yes, why we are here – and how do we get back?" Gimli said gruffly.

Gandalf knitted his bushy eyebrows together for a minute.  "One of those questions is easier to answer than the other, I'm afraid," he said with a frown.  "I believe the reason we are here is quite simple – someone wants us to be."

Here, Gandalf paused dramatically, looking around the sea of expectant faces.  Only Dumbledore sat complacently at the end of the table, twiddling with his beard.

"Well?" Ron asked, after the pause continued even longer.

Gandalf looked at him shrewdly.  "Well, Master Weasley, it means that someone has been bringing my friends and I here for a reason.  Legolas was the first to appear, was he not?  You, Miss Granger, found him in the forest."

"Yes," Hermione answered, but she was puzzled.  She glanced between Gandalf and Dumbledore.  "How did you know?" 

"Suffice it to say that I do know, Miss Granger.  Yes, Legolas was the first to appear, and in his time he had left Middle-Earth many centuries previously for the Grey Havens, is that not correct, Legolas?"

"Yes indeed," the elf nodded.  "To my mind it is many years since I have seen any of you."

"Gimli arrived next, from the Glittering Caves," Gandalf continued.

"And as I thought, after the death of King Elessar, but here you are, Aragorn – in the flesh!  How pleased I am to see you!"

"Please, Gimli," Gandalf spoke sternly.  "We must try not to speak of what is to come.  Confusing as it is we must try to keep our minds in the present.  And Aragorn's present is quite different I believe, than to yours."

"Indeed it is, Gandalf," Aragorn nodded.  "But even so, Gimli needn't mind his words so.  I am quite used to the idea of a mortal life, and the knowledge that death is ahead brings me no fear.  But that is many years in the future, I would hope.  Before coming here I had just taken up my throne – and brought my wife to join me.  I am anxious to get back to them both, Gandalf."

"And somehow – I believe with Dumbledore's' help – we will find a way to do so, Aragorn.  But what concerns me most is why we are here – and the fact that whoever is bringing us here is reaching further into our past each time.  They are trying to get at something.  What connects us all to one another, Aragorn?  How is it that we all came to meet?"

"Why, the Council of Elrond, you must mean – and the forming of the Fellowship of Nine."

"_Exactly," Gandalf raised an eyebrow.  "Someone is reaching into our history and pulling us out one-by-one.  But they haven't found what they are looking for – not yet."_

"Are you suggesting the rest of the Fellowship will turn up in the woods too?" Gimli asked, surprised.  "The little ones?  Master Frodo?"

Legolas turned his head sharply towards Gandalf.  "If they continue to bring the Fellowship here, and go further and further back each time, they could bring Frodo here when he has the ring!"

Gandalf nodded his head slowly.  "Yes, Legolas, you understand it as I do.  I believe that whoever has brought us here – and the Orcs and Uruk-Hai that have been pulled along with the dark magic  - has been aiming for something smaller.  For a hobbit, in fact; Frodo Baggins, when he was in possession of the ring of power."  

There was a long silence.  Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were staring at Gandalf in a grim amazement.  The others around the table, however, were still in the dark.

"What exactly _is_ the 'ring of power'?" Harry asked curiously, sensing it was something bad from the look on the others' faces.

"It is the one ring, Harry Potter," Gandalf said, his eyes glinting strangely as they looked down at Harry.  "The one ring that can rule them all.  Whoever wears the ring becomes all powerful and immortal.  It corrupts those that cannot resist its power – they become enslaved to it.  In the hands of powerful men, it has the potential to do untold damage."

"The question that faces us," Dumbledore spoke for the first time, looking towards Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Harry, "is who in our world would want such an artefact – such a token of evil as the one ring appears to be?"

"Voldemort," Harry said determinedly, the word making Ron and Hagrid shiver.  "Who else?"

"That is my thinking also, Harry," Dumbledore answered sadly.

"Now it is time for us to ask a question of you," Aragorn looked at Harry.  "Who is Voldemort?"

--------------------------

"So you see he'll do anything to get more power.  He dreams of being immortal and ruling the wizard world for ever.  He hates Muggles too – that's non-wizards – and wants to hurt them."  

There was another long silence after Harry had finished.  The Hogwarts crowd were looking very grim.  Aragorn was the first to speak.

"If what you say is correct, Gandalf, and he is after the ring – and this Voldemort is all the things you say he is, Harry - then this is a very serious situation indeed.  The ring would give Voldemort the power to rule not just your wizarding world but the world of men also.  Its power is absolute.  There is no way to destroy the ring in your world.  Voldemort must be stopped – by whatever force necessary."

As he spoke, Aragorn's hand moved instinctively to his sword and gripped the handle.  

"But how are we to stop what we don't understand, Gandalf?" Legolas looked up.  "What magic is being used to bring us here?  When will the hobbits appear – if indeed they do?  Where is this Voldemort hiding?  We cannot fight an invisible force!  Then there is the matter of the Orcs and other creatures brought here with us.  They will side with dark magic, not with us.  I have already slain a great number, but there are already hundreds in the forest."  Hermione glanced at his worried face anxiously; she had not seen Legolas with a look like that before.

Gandalf nodded.  "I cannot answer all your questions, Legolas, I do not yet know enough.  With Dumbledore's help, I hope to be able to locate Voldemort.  As to the forest, I look to the three of you to protect the school from the dangers inside.  As for the hobbits – if they are to appear, I must hope it will be here, where the three of you all appeared.  You must look out for them – can an old Ranger remember his ways?" Gandalf looked at Aragorn with half a smile.

"Naturally!" Aragorn said determinedly.  "It is not so long for me since I last had the use of them."

"Then you know what you must do," Gandalf finished, looking from Aragorn to Gimli to Legolas.  

"You have found friends here, Gentlemen," Dumbledore said to them.  "I give you free reign in the forest, and hope that you will accept the hospitality of Hogwarts when you rest.  Harry, Ron and Hermione are also to be trusted, and all of them have proven their courage at different times.  And Hagrid too of course – I would trust him with my life.  I think that all of us here understand the threat that we are now facing, but it is always better to prepare for a known threat than be surprised by an unknown one.  I wish very good luck to all of you!"

After these words the meeting broke up into smaller groups.  Aragorn took Gandalf to one side to receive more of his counsel.  Gimli made his way over to a worried-looking Hagrid.  Hermione found herself at Legolas' side.

"Are you scared, Legolas?" she asked him quietly, looking up at his fair face.

"Scared?  I do not believe so," he replied, with a wry turn of his mouth.  "But anxious indeed.  The ring of Sauron is not something I would wish upon your world for all the ages.  It brought untold damage in our time and many lives were lost defending ourselves against it.  But you mustn't be fearful yourself, Hermione," he said, his eyes looking down at her earnestly.  "My friends and I have fought this threat before.  I have trust in the wisdom of Gandalf – and I believe in your own Dumbledore as well.  I will not let any harm come to you or your friends, Hermione, I promise you."

Hermione didn't reply, but her heart seemed to skip a little beat and she smiled up at Legolas warmly.

---------------------

Darkness had fallen before the council broke up.  The forest on the verge of Hagrid's cabin muttered with foreign noises and the three hunters entered into it fearlessly; ready to begin their defence of Hogwarts.

To be continued….  Please read & review woodland folk!


	6. The Defence of Hogwarts

The Defence of Hogwarts

A/N:  Yes, alright you clever people, Aragorn's sword is called Narsil, of course – you spotted my deliberate mistake!  But guys… I posted that ages ago – why have you only just noticed?

"Gandalf?" Aragorn sat down opposite the great wizard.  "You look tired, old friend."

Gandalf smiled up at Aragorn.  

"Indeed I am, Your Majesty," he said, with a ghost of a smile.  "Dumbledore and I have been trying for days to locate the whereabouts of Lord Voldemort but without success.  It is very trying."

"If you are weary, then perhaps you will not wish to hear my news either, Gandalf," Aragorn said with a sigh.  He reached for his pipe.  "I am afraid it is not encouraging."

Gandalf turned, his eyes sharp.  "More orcs are appearing in the forest?"

"More every day," Aragorn said with a sigh.  "We have slain many but it makes little difference.  I fear that soon they will be able to outrun us.  I am afraid they will try to attack the castle."

"They will not get far," Gandalf said with a shake of his head.  "There are many spells protecting Hogwarts – magic no Orc could ever unravel."

"These are not ordinary times, Gandalf.  Those Orcs were brought here by the most powerful of dark magic – who knows what abilities that has given them?"

"You forget, Aragorn, that this is a castle of witches and wizards – not a keep of men.  They would meet great resistance, even if they reach so far as the grounds."

"It is a castle of children, Gandalf!  The younger ones know nothing more to defend themselves with than childish tricks!  Do you expect them to defeat an army of Uruk-Hai warriors with a 'jelly legs' spell?"

"Ah, Colin Creavey got you too, did he?" Gandalf said with a smile.

Aragorn sat back in his chair and chewed meditatively on his pipe.  

"I was taken unawares," he answered mildly.  Then in a deeper tone he added; "I am serious, Gandalf.  We can only hold them off so long.  Once this Voldemort turns up, the Orcs will flock to his cause as sure as they did to Saruman's.  And in that event, I fear for the castle – and for those inside of it."

-----------

Legolas straightened the target once more and took ten paces away from it.

"Try it again, Hermione," he called.

Hermione lifted the beautiful bow and eyed the red circle in the centre of the target.  She drew back the arrow with her right hand and fired, just as Legolas had instructed her…

A moment later she squinted to see if she had hit her target, but not seeing anything she called out to her companion;

"How was it?" she asked, "I can't see."

Legolas turned towards her slightly, exposing his right side to her.  In his hand was her arrow.  He had caught it at the last minute, before it went clear through his shoulder.  He walked towards her, smiling.

"You're getting closer," he said, offering her the arrow once more.

Hermione took it miserably, throwing it down on the ground in disgust.  "I'm never going to get it," she groaned, collapsing down on the ground in a heap.  "It's just like flying… I can't ride a broomstick and I can't shoot arrows!  What's the point?"

Legolas crouched down next to her, picking up his abandoned arrow and running a smooth slender hand down it.  "Here," he said, offering it to her again.  "Just hold it."

He drew another from his quiver as she took the first arrow from him.  He held the second one as she did, then he raised it up, so it was right in front of his eyes.

"Look down its length, Hermione.  It's as straight as a sword when motionless, but these arrows were crafted by the elves of Rivendell of the finest willow.  They are so supple that they will fly almost upon their own intent.  You make the mistake of your kind, Hermione.  Most men believe to shoot an arrow requires great strength and good eyesight, but it is nothing so complicated.  The secret of the Elves is that they use no such strength – we merely direct where the arrow should go.  If it is made correctly, it will go."

He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet.  Placing the arrow back on the bow, Hermione raised her arms once more and Legolas stood behind her.  Reaching out he helped her pull back her right arm and put his other around her waist to steady them.  Helping her line up the shot, he let her release and soon Hermione saw her first arrow of the day whistling down and piercing the central bulls eye on the target.

"Wow," she breathed.  Legolas hadn't moved but still stood close behind her, and Hermione stood, her heart beating double-time as she turned slowly round, but as she did so…

"Hermione!  Hermione!  Are we too late?"

Lavender and Parvati were descending on her and Legolas at a run.

"We saw Ron and Harry earlier.  Ron said Legolas was teaching you archery and we thought we should learn too," Lavender said, with a sideways smile at Legolas.  

"Ron told you?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.  "I'll bet he did," she added under her breath.  

"Yeah, the forest's so dangerous these days, so Dumbledore says," Parvati continued, looking directly at Legolas and quite ignoring Hermione.  "I feel quite vulnerable not being able to defend myself."

"We'd be so grateful if you could help us, Legolas," they said, grinning, and trying to bat their eyelashes.

Legolas was saved from replying by Gimli, who joined the group at that fortunate moment.

"Legolas, Aragorn wants to speak with us," Gimli told the Elf.  With a cursory glance at Lavender and Parvati he continued; "If you are not otherwise occupied, we should go right away."

Legolas nodded and gathered up his bow and quiver.  

"I must offer my apologies, Ladies," Legolas bowed slightly at Lavender and Parvati, "but perhaps Hermione could help you with some spells to help you defend yourselves?  Hermione, I am pleased you are improving.  I will see you soon, no doubt."

"Thank you, Legolas," Hermione smiled.  The other two girls giggled and nudged each other as Legolas walked off with Gimli.  

"_My apologies, Ladies," Parvati imitated Legolas' earnest voice.  "Gosh, he's so dreamy!"_

Hermione said nothing, but smiled to herself.

--------------------

"You seem to have made plenty of friends here, Master Elf," Gimli noted gruffly as he and Legolas returned to the castle, "though I have noted most of them are of the female variety."

Legolas didn't look at Gimli, but he did note sardonically that the dwarf had been spending a great deal of time with a certain Professor Sprout.

"That's different," Gimli coughed.  "I have been asking her advice on various poisonous weeds that we might use against the Orcs – to defend the castle, of course."

"Of course," Legolas smiled.

"I suppose you were discussing similar things with those young witches?"

"Archery," Legolas supplied.

"Ah, archery," Gimli repeated.  "And here was I thinking you might have been discussing the thousand-year age gap!" he chuckled woozily.

----------------

Dumbledore looked around at the grave faces in his office.  He had come to respect deeply the courage and leadership of Aragorn, the skill of Legolas and the fearlessness of Gimli, but most of all he had met in Gandalf the White a wizard of such power and knowledge, that the grey face of the old man worried Dumbledore more than cared to admit.

"I believe you have something to say to me, Gentlemen," he began in his pleasant voice.

"Indeed, Dumbledore, we have," Aragorn started.  "I have discussed the matter with Gandalf and also with Legolas and Gimli and we are agreed.  You must make Hogwarts ready for war."

Dumbledore's face closed up and the twinkle disappeared out of his eye to be replaced with a steely glare.  

"Perhaps you are forgetting, Lord Aragorn, that Hogwarts is a school of witchcraft and wizardry.  It is the home of children, not of warriors.  I am aware that the castle is under threat from Voldemort – as it has been for many years, I might remind you – but I do not intend to give into that threat now."

"It is not a matter of giving in, Sir," Aragorn replied, jumping to his feet.  "It is a practical endeavour.  You and Gandalf, despite all your efforts, have failed to locate Voldemort.  Yet more Orcs and Uruk-hai appear in the forest everyday.  He is still attempting to bring back Frodo and the ring, and if you cannot stop him it is only a matter of time.  They will appear in the forest and then he will come – with a fierce and evil army awaiting him.  What is to stop him if we are not prepared?"

"Voldemort shall not enter Hogwarts," Dumbledore promised firmly.  "He will not be able to."

This comment roused Gandalf, who had been meditatively smoking on his pipe throughout the meeting so far.

"I am afraid, Dumbledore, that with the ring, Voldemort shall do what he likes," he said matter-of-factly.  "Unless… unless we can think of a way to stop him getting the ring from Frodo."

"We need to be ready to fight," Gimli put in.

"I have been teaching some of the students to use a bow and arrow," Legolas said.  "Some show promise, although we do not have much time to teach them…  But the younger children…"

"Enough!" Dumbledore raised a hand.  "I will not have us weighing-up our chances for a brawl.  Lord Voldemort is a wizard, and a very powerful one.  I am afraid that strong and fearless as the three of you are, you cannot create an army that can defeat the most powerful magic.  Hogwarts will not be protected that way."

Gandalf nodded slowly.  "You are right, my friend, and you must forgive the others if they do not realise the depth of the magic they impede upon.  But we will still need their strength.  We cannot find Voldemort, Dumbledore," Gandalf looked his fellow wizard square in the eye, "but perhaps we can find Frodo once he appears.  Aragorn is capable of tracking anyone, even in that darkness of a forest.  Once we have him we must keep the ring safe.  For that, we shall use magic."  

"Yes," Dumbledore sighed.  "And I believe I know how."

There was a pause then Gandalf asked gently;

"Harry?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"The boy?" Aragorn asked sharply.  "How can he be of any help?"

But Dumbledore stared thoughtfully into his beard, and offered Aragorn no reply.

----------------

At that time in the forest, there was a sudden rush of whirling light and dust that appeared suddenly, making a high-pitched screeching sound.  It disappeared after a minute or two and in its place two small shapes stood quivering.  

One of the shapes gripped hold of the other and stared nervously around.

"Merry – where are we?" Pippin asked; frightened by the great darkness of the forbidden forest looming over them.

To be continued…. Please read/review


	7. Peregrine and Meriadoc

Peregrine and Meriadoc

A/N:  Apologies for the huge delay with chapters.  That pesky real world is getting in the way of my writing time… again.  

------------------------

"Ron, what is your _problem_?  Legolas is here to help us!  Just like Aragorn and Gimli - and I don't hear you complaining about them!"

"They don't go around showing off to everyone!" 

"Neither does Legolas!  It was Lavender and Parvati that asked him for lessons; you're so childish, Ron Weasley."

"And you're completely mad if you think anything's going to happen between you and that elf!"

Harry just raised his eyebrows and shook his head.  He had been listening to Ron and Hermione having nearly the same argument everyday since the three hunters had come to the castle.  Ron was eaten up with jealousy for all the attention Legolas had been getting.  Particularly the attention he had been receiving from Hermione.  Harry for one was quite pleased at the new arrivals.  Everyone was so excited and intrigued by Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf that they had stopped paying him any attention for once.  Even the Creavey's had deserted him and that was just the way Harry liked it.  Of course, most of the school were unaware of the great danger they were all under.  The news of Voldemort and the ring of power was still a secret… but Harry knew, and he worried more and more about it everyday.

"What's up, Harry?" Ron asked pausing in his breakfast to realise Harry was quieter than usual.

"I'm just wondering why Dumbledore and Gandalf have stopped trying to find Voldemort," Harry said quietly.  "Do you think they've changed their minds?"

"But what else can they do?" Hermione whispered.  "If they don't find You-Know-Who and stop him, he'll get his hands on that ring and then who knows what will happen?  No, they've probably thought of a better way to find him or something."

"Why don't you ask him, Harry?" Ron suggested.  "I'm sure Dumbledore'd tell you if you did."

"I think I might," Harry nodded.

-------------

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were already deep inside the forest while Harry, Ron and Hermione were eating breakfast.  They'd been there several hours already, trying to prevent the Orcs and Uruk-hai that were now prevalent in the forest from reaching the school.

Legolas and Gimli were resting in a shallow glade, with Aragorn someway off.  Gimli was running a cursory eye over his axe, tutting every now and again.

"Orcs necks are doing this in," he grunted.  "It'll need sharpening again when we get back to the castle."

"It's being put to use again – instead of being put to rest," Legolas said with a smile, turning from the forest into which he had been peering.

"Put to rest!" Gimli repeated.  "A dwarf's axe is never put to rest until he dies, Master Elf, as well you know!"

"All I know, my friend, is that this forest is the most action that battleaxe has seen since we last destroyed the ring."

"And we should've known we weren't rid of it then!" Gimli said huffed.  "Evil like that never disappears completely."

"Gimli!  Legolas!"  They were interrupted by the voice of Aragorn, calling from some distance away.  They followed it immediately, hearing the urgency in the voice.

When they reached him Aragorn was crouched down, staring intently at some markings in the Earth.

"Look," he inclined his head towards the ground.  

"Footprints…" Gimli said blankly.

"Hobbit footprints," Aragorn said, looking up at them meaningfully.

----------------

"Merry," Pippin sat wearily, throwing himself down on a stone, "We've been looking for over an hour and we haven't seen one thing in this forest we can eat.  What are we going to do?"

Merry looked around them, twitching his nose.  "We'll find something, Pippin, don't worry.  Just look at this place it's perfect for mushrooms…"

Pippin raised his eyebrows.  "Mushrooms?"

----------------

"Is it Frodo?" Legolas asked Aragorn as they and Gimli hurried their path through the trees.

"I can't tell," Aragorn shook his head.  "But there were two of them – we can't take any chances.  This forest is crawling with Orc.  If we don't find them soon, whoever it is will have a great fight on their hands."

"Stop!" Legolas halted suddenly – so suddenly that the slower Gimli ran straight into him.  "Do you hear those voices?"

"I hear nothing but the forest laughing at us, but I trust your ears more than mine, my friend," Gimli grunted.  "Are they hobbit voices?"

Legolas turned his head curiously.  "Yes," he said smiling, "They are hobbits and one's we know well.  It is Merry and Pippin. They lie not far to the north.  Come."

----------------

"We're in trouble, aren't we Merry?" Pippin said in a downcast voice, but he wasn't talking about mushrooms.  

Merry rubbed a hand over his eyes and sighed.

"Yes, Pippin, we are in trouble.  Who knows how we ended up in this forest?  Or if we'll ever find a way out of it…  How I wish Aragorn were here!  We need a ranger to lead us through these woods…"

"Merry," Pippin said slowly, hearing movement some distance away and getting to his feet to investigate.

"…. I wish we'd paid some attention now when we were with him.  I know he used to listen to the ground a lot – do you think we should try that?  Pippin?  Pippin what's wrong?"

Pippin was waving his arm at Merry, gesturing to him urgently. "Merry, look!  Aragorn _is here," he said excitedly, waving his arms frantically into the trees ahead.  "Hey Aragorn!  We're over here!" he called loudly.  "There's Gimli and Legolas too, Merry!"_

"Hey!" Merry called, suddenly seeing them too.  "Hello!"

The three hunters had seen them and ran the last few hundred yards to reach them.  Aragorn fell to his knees and clasped his hands around Merry's arms.

"Merry!  Pippin!  How glad I am to see you both alive and well!"

Gimli and Legolas smiled at them both as well.

"Though it's a miracle you are what with shouting so loudly.  I'm surprised you didn't have your throats cut.  Don't you realise this forest is crawling with Uruk-hai?"

Pippin swallowed quickly.  "Uruk-hai?  We haven't seen a single one."

"Then you are lucky," Legolas nodded, "as we are to have found you both so swiftly," he smiled down at them.  It had been many, many years since Legolas had last seen the hobbits, many years to him since their mortal lives had ended and it touched him deeply to be in their company once more.

"Well I for one am glad you're here, because we're starving," Pippin said, matter-of-factly.

-------------------

Harry had got as far as Dumbledore's office, but he hadn't got as far as knocking on the door.  The truth was he was worried, deeply worried, about what was to come.  His last confrontation with Voldemort had taken more out of him than he had ever admitted.  It had also resulted in the death of another student… an event that Harry had never forgotten.  But before he had the chance to think anymore, the door opened in front of him and Dumbledore stood before him.

"I was waiting for you to knock, but I'm afraid I got impatient," he smiled, his eyes twinkling and immediately comforting Harry's nerves.  "Won't you come in?"

Harry always enjoyed seeing Dumbledore's office, despite the fact that when he was there it wasn't usually good news he was receiving.  It's seemingly endless collection of curios and artefacts fascinated him, but he was there for a reason and he couldn't put things off.

"I wondered if I could ask you some questions, sir?"

"Of course, Harry, sit down," Dumbledore indicated the spare chair in the room with his hand.

"Ron and Hermione and me were talking over breakfast," Harry started nervously.  "We were trying to work out why you and Gandalf stopped looking for Voldemort and we, er, couldn't think of a reason.  I thought I'd ask you, if you don't mind."

Dumbledore smiled at Harry.  "I thought it wouldn't be long before you started questioning our actions.  You are too intelligent and have seen too much not to wonder," he said evenly.  "I will tell you what's happening, Harry, and indeed I must, for I am sorry to say that if we are going to be successful in our battle against Voldemort, we will need your help."

Harry nodded slowly, for some reason not the least bit surprised.

------------------

Aragorn led Merry and Pippin into the Great Hall of Hogwarts.  Legolas and Gimli followed behind.  Merry and Pippin's eyes opened wide at the size of the room and, indeed, at the size of the dinner plates on the tables.  

"So let me go through this again," Merry began, as they took their seats.  "We're in the future?  And we're here because someone's trying to find Frodo and the ring?"

"Yes," Aragorn nodded, lighting his pipe.  

"Sauron?"

Legolas shook his head.  "No – this magic is the work of a powerful but corrupt wizard in _this_ world.  Gandalf believes he may have found the Red Book and knows of our adventures –"

"Wait – you say Gandalf's _here_?" Merry repeated, staring at Pippin.  "Gandalf's alive?"

Aragorn took his pipe out of his mouth and stared at the hobbits thoughtfully.  "Of course, we ought to have asked before, but in my haste to get you both to safety I neglected what should have been done.  Where were the two of you before you appeared in the forest here?"

Merry and Pippin looked at one another.  "We were taken by the Uruk-Hai," Pippin said, colour draining out of his face.  "The killed Boromir, then took us.  They carried us for miles… we'd just managed to escape somehow when -"

"We ended up here," Merry finished.  "We thought it was just another trick for them to capture us again."

"Then to you, I am but a ghost, I suppose?" A deep and familiar voice announced behind the hobbits.  Turning around both Merry and Pippin's faces broke out into looks of the greatest astonishment.  They both flung themselves around Gandalf's waist.  

"Gandalf!  You're here!"

Gandalf smiled and gave them each a paternal pat on the head.  "So it would seem," he smiled.  "Indeed, we are nearly all here," he added with a solemn glance at Aragorn, who caught the message in Gandalf's eyes.  "But come friends, let us set aside our worries for a short time.  Let us eat!"  

Gandalf raised his staff ever so slightly and the hobbit's eyes widened to the size of saucer's as the table filled with food.

"Gandalf!" Pippin exclaimed gratefully.

-------------------

"I wonder if Dumbledore will tell Harry anything," Hermione wondered to Ron.

"Of course he will – he knows he can trust Harry."

"But this is big stuff Ron, he might not want any students involved."

"When You-Know-Who's involved, then Harry's involved.  Dumbledore knows that as well as we do, Hermione."

As they past the entrance to the great hall, they heard lively voices coming from inside.  They stopped and peaked around the door.  

"Who's that with Aragorn and the others?" whispered Ron to Hermione.  

Hermione craned her neck around Ron's head.  "Must be some first years," she said, just seeing two rather small people sat opposite Legolas.  

"Ah, Hermione!  Ron!" Gandalf said, turning to look straight at them peering around the door, before they had time to move out of sight.  "Come in and join us."

They walked over to the table, Hermione feeling a little embarrassed to have Legolas around when she was caught eaves-dropping on people.

"I'm sorry, we weren't meaning to be nosy," Hermione explained.  "We just heard voices, that's all."

Gandalf dismissed her apology away with a wave of his hand, then smiled as he announced; "Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, I would like you both to meet two friends of ours.  They are hobbits – have either of you met a hobbit before?"

Hermione shook her head and Ron stared at the newcomers.  They were certainly no first-years.  Rather they were small, perfectly-formed little people with large pointed ears and, Ron had to disguise a grimace as he looked down, big hairy feet.

"I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck, and this is Peregrine Took," Merry announced grandly, standing up and bowing slightly.

"Hullo!" Merry said cheerfully, tucking into his second chicken leg.

"Pleased to meet you," Merry finished, holding out a hand.

------------------

"There is no way we can find Voldemort, Harry," Dumbledore was saying.  "He's too well protected.  He's grown very powerful over the last year."

Harry kicked out hard at the table leg in front of him.  "That's because of me, isn't it?  Because Wormtail used my blood to bring Voldemort back!  That's the reason he's so powerful."

"Your blood did do something, Harry, but not that," Dumbledore said gently.  "If not you, Voldemort would have used another wizard to grow strong again.  You mustn't blame yourself for what's happened."

"You said I could help?" Harry looked up.  "Before, when I came in, you said you would need my help to defeat Voldemort.  What did you mean?"

Dumbledore looked carefully down through his spectacles at Harry.  "You've shown great resilience in your past meetings with Voldemort," Dumbledore said, "and we shall need someone who can stand firm against him.  I would choose you, Harry, over another adult wizard because of what I have seen you do in the past and what I believe you will do in the future.  Few in our world will even say Voldemort's name – you have done very much more than that already."  He paused for a moment, watching Harry's eager face earnestly.  "I see a lot of your father in you, Harry, especially as you get older… I have to tell you that if you feel any anger or a need to revenge Cedric's death, I would rather you say so now – it cannot help in the long run."

Harry swallowed quickly.  "I can't forget what happened after the third task," he said thickly, not looking at Dumbledore.  "And I do wish I… I do wish I could go back and change things.  It was my fault Cedric was killed – I told him to take the cup with me, if I hadn't he'd still be alive," Harry shuddered, words and memories echoing around his head… _lose the spare…_

"Harry,"  Dumbledore's soft voice brought Harry back to the present.  "If you are to help us, then I will need you to show the courage I know you are capable of.  Cedric's death was a tragedy, certainly, but you must put it behind you if you are to be of any use.  Do you think that you can do that?  It is not an easy thing to ask."

Harry thought for a moment before nodding.  "No, I know, and I can do it.  Please, let me help."

------------

"Where are you going?" Pippin looked up, seeing Aragorn sheath his sword and Legolas and Gimli pick up their own weapons.  

"We return to the forest," Aragorn replied, his voice set.  

"Why?" Merry asked.  "We've only just left it."

"I believe that Frodo will be the next of us to appear," Gandalf explained.  "The time for action has come.  We must remain in the forest until Frodo is found and bring him to Hogwarts immediately.  The safety of both our world rests upon it."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other anxiously, but kept quiet.  Merry and Pippin looked at one another too.  Nodding in silent agreement, they both reached for their own weapons.  

"Then we're coming too," Pippin said, glancing up at the others.  

"Stay here, lads," Gimli said kindly, as he set his axe at his side.  "There will be time enough to help us later.  Rest here."

"No!" Merry cried.  "Frodo's our friend and we're going to help him.  Sam too, if it comes to that."

"We're part of this fellowship too," Pippin added.  "You can't make us stay behind."

Aragorn looked at the two hobbits for a long minute.  At length he nodded at their determined faces.  

"Let them come, Gandalf."

Gandalf smiled kindly at Merry and Pippin.  "Let us be gone," he said to all.

Hermione and Ron watched them leave without another word.

------------

"Gandalf has gone with Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas.  They will wait in the forest until Frodo appears with the ring, then they must act quickly.  They will bring Frodo to Hogwarts and we will hide him – his location must be kept an absolute secret.  There is a spell, Harry, one that I know you are aware of, that keeps something secret from any other person –"

"-You're going to use a secret-keeper!" Harry gasped, interrupting Dumbledore.

"Yes, Harry, we are, and I would like it if you would agree to be the secret-keeper for the ring."

To be continued…               Please read/review!


	8. The Ring

Part Eight

The Ring

--------------------

"I have spoken with the centaurs," Legolas said, returning to the makeshift camp Aragorn had set up.  "They tell me that the number of Orc has near doubled since Merry and Pippin arrived.  Over half their number have been slain."

"Twice as many Orc?" Gimli repeated, glancing grimly at Aragorn.  "They are preparing for battle."

"I fear so," Gandalf agreed.  "Which means the time must be drawing near.  Any sign of Frodo yet, Legolas?"

But the elf shook his head.  "I have seen none.  Likewise the creatures of the forest have seen no sign."

"Aragorn?"

Aragorn, who had been using all his skills as a ranger since they set foot in the forest, shook his head.  "Nothing, Gandalf."

"Well!" Gimli sat himself on a large boulder and rested his arms on his axe.  "What do we do now?"

Gandalf looked down at Gimli, his eyes alert and flashing.  "We continue, Master Dwarf, until we find Frodo."

----------------

Hermione and Ron found Harry sat in his favourite spot by the lake outside the castle.  He was watching the water, seeing the ripples made by the various creatures that lived underneath the surface.  

"Harry?" Ron called out as they approached him.  "You alright, mate?"

"Harry?  What did Dumbledore say?  Did he explain why he and Gandalf have stopped searching for You-Know-Who?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked up at Hermione as if he'd just realised she was standing there.  "Er, yeah, he did."

"Well?"  Ron prompted impatiently.  "What's the score?"

"They've stopped looking for Voldemort because they can't find him," Harry said simply, shrugging his shoulders.  "He's too powerful now."

Hermione shivered.  The thought of an even more powerful Voldemort was not a comforting one, even without the threat of him finding the ring.

"So, what?  They're just going to stop looking for him?" Ron asked incredulously.  

"Yeah," Harry shrugged.  

"That's mad," Ron exclaimed, shaking his head.  "They can't just give up – we need to know where he is.  They _have_ to find him."

"They reckon they won't have to," Harry replied.  "Dumbledore and Gandalf seem to think that as soon as the other hobbit turns up – Frodo, the one that has the ring – then Voldemort will come after him."

"You mean come here?" Hermione asked in turn.  "Here to _Hogwarts_?  He couldn't!  I mean, he _can't_.  The school's protected."

"Hasn't stopped him trying in the past though, has it?" Harry reminded her bluntly.  "And remember he's even more powerful now – and he's after something that will make him all-powerful.  He'd do anything to get his hands on that ring."

"Legolas and the others went to the forest ages ago to wait for Frodo," Hermione explained.  "They're going to bring him back here when they find him.  You-Know-Who's going to expect that, isn't he?  Shouldn't they try and hide him?"

"They are," Harry said.  He paused to take a deep breath before continuing.  "That's the other thing Dumbledore said to me.  They're going to hide the ring and they want my help to do it."  Seeing blank looks on the faces of Ron and Hermione he added in a whisper, "they want me to be a secret-keeper."

His two friends stared back at Harry wide-eyed.

"Oh, Harry, that's really dangerous.  Have you really said you'll do it?" Hermione asked gently.

Harry nodded slowly.  

Ron said nothing at all, but tried to give his friend what he thought was a reassuring smile, but appeared to be more of an ugly grimace.  Harry went back to staring at the lake.

----------------------

"This is crazy, Hermione," Ron said, as he and Hermione walked over to Hagrid's cabin.  They'd left Harry by the lake, and to his own thoughts.  "Dumbledore and Gandalf are just going to _wait_ for You-Know-Who to turn up?  Hogwarts'll be under siege.  You've seen those things in the forest…  And the only thing they're going to put between You-Know-Who and the ring of ultimate power is Harry!  Great idea!" he finished sarcastically.

"Ron, listen," Hermione said, tired of his ranting.  "We have to trust Dumbledore.  He and Gandalf are great wizards – they know more about this than us.  And Harry _agreed_ to be the secret-keeper, Ron, and you know it.  Harry fought You-Know-Who last year and survived to tell the tale, and that's more than a lot of adult wizards ever managed to do.  Dumbledore asked him to do this because he _can.  It's important."_

"Put's Harry in danger again though, doesn't it?" Ron reasoned.  "And that means _we'll be in danger too.  Are you ready for that?"_

"Hasn't stopped us before, has it?" Hermione shrugged.

Ron sniffed in agreement.  "C'mon, let's go and talk to Hagrid about this."

Hagrid saw Ron and Hermione approaching through the window of his cabin and hurried out to meet them.  

"What you two doin' 'ere?" he asked gruffly.  "You should be up in the castle."

"We wanted to talk to you, Hagrid," Hermione said simply.  "We're worried about Harry."

"Harry?" Hagrid paused for a moment.  "He alright?"

"Dumbledore's asked him to help he and Gandalf fight You-Know-Who," Hermione whispered, in case anyone was in eaves-dropping distance.  

"Dumbledore?  Well he'll know what he's about," Hagrid brushed away Hermione's concern's with a wave of his hand.  "Great man, Dumbledore."

"Hagrid, listen-"

"Let's get yeh inside first," Hagrid shooed her and Ron back towards the school.  "I said you shouldn't be out here."

"Hagrid, it's not even dark yet," Ron protested.  "There's students all over the grounds."

"Well they shouldn't be," Hagrid said fiercely.  "There's goin' ter be trouble.  Let's get up to the castle and get everyone else back too."

"Trouble?" Hermione repeated, as she and Ron began to move at last, trying to keep up with Hagrid as he charged towards the school.  "What do you mean?"

Just as she spoke, the three of them heard an enormous roar from the forest, as if hundreds of creatures had shrieked in unison.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Ron cried out, staring at the others.  

--------------------

Aragorn had Frodo and Sam.  Unfortunately, every Orc and Uruk-hai in the forest knew he did as well, and the others were no where to be seen.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn roared, to no avail.  He felt something grab him and looked down at Frodo, who was trying to free himself from Aragorn's tight grip.  

"You must let me go, Aragorn," Frodo shouted.  "I have to go to Mordor alone!"

"You will, Frodo, believe me," Aragorn said patiently.  "Soon you will have no choice but to continue your journey without me, but for now you will be in the deepest peril unless you stay by my side."

"No!  You're trying to get the ring – you're trying to trick me!" Frodo shouted again, struggling even more against Aragorn's hold.  Until, that is, Sam laid a calming hand on his arm.

"Don't, Master Frodo," Sam said soothingly.  "Let's trust Strider, he's always done right by us before."

Aragorn gave Sam a thankful glance as Frodo stopped struggling at last.  From what he understood from their conversation, Frodo and Sam had been pulled from Middle-Earth just after the Fellowship had broken up and the two hobbits had set out on the long and arduous journey to Mordor.  Frodo had left because of the terrible power the ring was starting to have over the Fellowship itself.  Now, in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, with the dark wizard Voldemort soon to be on their tail, Aragorn was having a hard time convincing Frodo of doing what was good for him.  

"We must find the others," Aragorn said softly.  "This forest is crawling with Orc.  We must find the others if we are to get to safety."

As he moved stealthily through the shadows, leading the two hobbits behind him, Aragorn was unaware he was being watched very carefully from someone just a short distance away…  He soon did know, however, as an arrow whistled past his face and hit a large Uruk-Hai warrior that had been about to thrust his sword into Aragorn.  Aragorn pulled the arrow out of the fallen Uruk-Hai and caught sight of its distinctive Elven markings.  

"Where have you been?" he asked of Legolas in Elvish as the Elf landed gracefully in front of them.  

"Watching out for you," Legolas replied.  Seeing the two hobbits behind Aragorn he smiled at them grimly.  "We must get to the castle at once."

"I agree," Aragorn said, starting to move again.  As they moved, they heard a familiar, blood-curdling yell of anger and the sound of an axe slicing through a neck.  

"Quick, Gimli!" Legolas called out to the dwarf.  "We have to keep moving."  The chase was on.

Frodo and Sam, still frightened and confused as to what exactly was going on, followed their friends through the dark trees, their swords held out in front of them.  Aragorn too, held his sword in readiness by his side, prepared to defend Frodo to the death.  Legolas and Gimli led the way, killing anything that got in their way.  Gimli's axe and Legolas' arrows flew in every direction, but it was clear they would soon be overcome.  There were just too many Orc in the forest.

More and more Orc and Uruk-Hai were converging on them.  There had to be thousands in the forest – maybe even more had arrived that night at the same time as Frodo and Sam.  Just as Aragorn was beginning to doubt their ever reaching the school grounds, a bright, powerful light shone through the forest.  All but Legolas shielded their eyes from the sight, but soon a booming voice forced them all to look up.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn breathed.  "At last!"

Gandalf was muttering an incantation that had forced back the dark and evil creatures that had been chasing them through the trees.  Merry and Pippin were also with him, their swords aloft and dripping with Orc blood.  

Legolas beckoned swiftly to Frodo and Sam.  "Come, we must keep moving.  With Gandalf's help we can reach the castle in safety."

But Frodo and Sam stayed rooted to the spot, their mouths wide open in disbelief.  It was as if they had not even heard Legolas speak.  Slowly, Frodo turned his head to look at Sam, then back to the image in front of him.  "Gandalf?" he whispered, not trusting his own eyes.  

"He's alive!" Sam cried out, a catch in his voice as he spoke for the first time.  

Legolas and Gimli exchanged glances.  Both realised that, as with Merry and Pippin, the other two hobbits had been pulled from a time when Gandalf was still dead to them.  To them, it was just a short while since their confrontation with the Balrog and the loss of Gandalf the Grey.  Unfortunately, there was no time to explain.  They had to keep moving – too much was at stake.

Gandalf knew this too, of course.  He paused in his chanting and looked down at Frodo and Sam, smiling a little at them.  "Trust me, Frodo – do what Aragorn asks of you," he said gently.  It was all he said, but it was enough.  The Fellowship started to run and soon they were within sight of the enormous façade of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

-----------------

A war council was arranged in the Great Hall.  Dumbledore and Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli sat around one of the large tables, everyone felt a sense of urgency.  They all knew the battle was about to begin.

It was into this tense atmosphere that Harry entered.  He had been summoned by Dumbledore, who wished him to attend.  He had known immediately what was to happen.  All the other students had been confined to their common rooms and dormitories.  The teachers were on guard around the castle.  That Aragorn and the others had returned meant only one thing – they had found Frodo and the ring and he needed to be hidden in the castle.  That meant they would need the secret-keeper to perform the spell.  That was Harry.

"Ah, Harry, thank you for coming," Dumbledore said politely, as Harry walked shyly into the room.  "Come and sit down."

"We must hide Frodo immediately, Gandalf," Aragorn was saying, with the most cursory of glances at Harry.  "There are Orc than ever in the forest, and they know we have the ring.  This wizard Voldemort will be appearing at any moment and the castle will be under siege.  There is no time to lose!"

"Frodo _will_ be hidden, Aragorn," Dumbledore said evenly, with a glance at Gandalf, "And I agree with you that it must happen right away.  That is why I have asked Harry to join us here."

Everyone around the table turn to look at Harry.  Frodo and Sam, the two newcomers, looked too, although they weren't sure why.  Dumbledore looked right at them.  "Frodo Baggins," he said, nodding at Frodo.  "This is Harry Potter.  He is a student at the school.  As I was saying before, I am prepared to hide you and the ring inside Hogwarts, but to keep your location secret from everyone, I will have to use some powerful magic."  He smiled reassuringly at Frodo.  "It's certainly an old spell, but it's very effective," he said.  "It involves hiding your secret inside a living person – the secret-keeper – and they and only they can possibly betray your whereabouts.  Harry here has agreed to be your secret keeper."

There was a murmur around the table as several of the others spoke and Aragorn turned to look at Harry with the greatest surprise.

"You're going to use the boy?" he asked Dumbledore.  "How can you trust a child with such a spell?  If this Voldemort is as powerful a wizard as you say he is, then how can you be sure he won't trick him to get the knowledge out of him somehow?"

"Voldemort is indeed a powerful wizard," Dumbledore nodded slowly.  "Few in our world have confronted him and come out the other side.  Harry has."  Dumbledore paused as Aragorn looked carefully at Harry again.  "Last year Harry duelled with Voldemort.  Another student was killed but Harry survived.  I would not have asked him to help us in this way if I did not believe he could do it."

Harry, listening to the conversation but playing no part in it was grateful for the assuredness in Dumbledore's voice.  He himself was feeling more and more uncertain as the minutes went past.  His eyes kept passing towards the hobbit, Frodo, and Harry couldn't help but notice the way that Frodo held his hand over a necklace at his throat.  Harry knew suddenly, with a hollow feeling in his stomach, that clutched in that hand was the ring.  The One Ring.

"I trust Dumbledore's judgement," Gandalf added, looking around at the others.  "Try and put you worries aside and concentrate on how we can defend the castle.  They have offered us shelter and protection here and we owe it to them to keep it safe.  We have no time to lose.  Frodo," Gandalf clapped a reassuring hand on the hobbit's shoulder.  "You must go with Dumbledore and Harry so that they can perform the spell.  I promise you, you will be safe as long as I have it in me to defend you."

Frodo nodded and made as if to follow Dumbledore when Sam pushed himself in front of Frodo.  "You don't go without me, Master Frodo," he said, looking up at Gandalf determinedly, daring him to disagree.  "We stick together and that's that."

Gandalf looked down at Sam with and nodded.  "Very good, Sam, if you wish, you can remain with Frodo.  Now gentlemen, we must get to work, Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli, tell us everything you have learnt about Hogwarts and it's grounds.  It's every strength, every weakness and every foible.  We have so little time left."

Dumbledore ushered out Sam, Frodo and Harry, promising to return with Harry and Hagrid once the spell had been performed.  The old and learned headmaster couldn't help a shudder as he heard another deathly shriek from the forest.  His school was about to be attacked.

To be continued… Please read/review!


	9. Blood, Bricks and Mortar

Part Nine

Blood, Bricks and Mortar.  

-------------------------------

Hagrid heaved one of his huge boxes onto the table and lifted off the lid.  He then did the same with the second box.  To Harry's surprise, they were full of weapons.  The first was chock-full with arrows, the second with awkwardly shaped daggers and flints.  He also laid down his two best cross-bars on the table alongside them.

Legolas reached for one of the arrows and ran one of his thin hands down its length.  

"This is good work, Hagrid," he said approvingly.  

"S'easy once you showed me how to do it," Hagrid shrugged.  

Aragorn too was inspecting the weapons Hagrid had made.  "You've done well to get these made in so short a time," he replied, fingering a dagger.  "I fear we'll have use of them.  There are enough here for the five of us," he said, looking at Legolas, Gimli, Merry and Pippin.  "But what of the others in the castle?"

"You forget that this is a castle of wizards, Aragorn," Gandalf answered him.  "They don't need weapons when they have magic."

"Even you carry a sword, Gandalf," Aragorn protested.  "And I would fear few with a weapon in their hands more than you, for all your magic.  I would feel more confident if the elders at least held more than a wand."

"This castle is better protected by those wands than you could ever imagine, Aragorn.  Even the youngest ones in the castle can perform a hex well enough to stop an Orc.  Let them defend themselves as they wish."

"Will everyone be expected to fight, Dumbledore?" Harry asked, speaking up for the first time.  

"I hope not, Harry," Dumbledore replied.  "All the younger children are to remain hidden in the castle, but I have told our older students they may have to defend themselves.  But I do not believe that Voldemort will try and destroy the school – or its pupils.  It's the ring he wants.  And there's no sense in him being all powerful if he's got rid of everyone else, is there?"

"_He may not want everyone slain, but you can't say the same about those Orcs," Gimli said matter-of-factly, not noticing Aragorn's frown of warning.  "They're trained to kill whatever stands in their way."  Then, seeing the look on Harry's face and Gandalf's unblinking stare, he quickly back-tracked.  "That is… eh, that _normally_ they'd kill anything standing in their way, but I'm sure they've never come across so many wizards in their lives… so I'm sure they won't… anyway," he added more cheerfully, "the five of us will kill any Orc that tries to get into the castle," he added confidently, nodding round at his companions.  _

As Gimli's words died away, Harry was struck by the silence.  It wasn't just that no one in the room was speaking, it was _outside_ too.   The wind that had been blowing merrily down the chimney and around the eaves of the castle had fallen away and with it had gone the faint rustle of trees from the forest.  Legolas, who stood by the window and was looking out into the dusk spoke softly to all of them as he said;

"They are here."

Harry ran to the window and looked out.  He saw in the distance a row of lights flickering on and off in the distance.  As his eyes adjusted to the gloom outside, he recognised that the lights were torches and that they were being held by dark, tall creatures, heavily armoured and carrying swords and other weapons.  Harry felt his heart paralyse with fear as he recognised that the dark line of warriors was moving swiftly towards the castle.  _They're _coming_._

Harry turned away at that point, and by doing so, missed the moment when the fighting warriors parted and a tall, thin person in wizard robes walked calmly through the ranks.  He was followed by a shorter, balding wizard who was looking around nervously.  Voldemort, along with Wormtail at his side, was ready to take control of his army.

-------------------

Everything seemed to happen all at once.  Legolas, Gimli, Merry and Pippin ran out of the room to take up their positions for the battle.  Dumbledore and Gandalf spoke together briefly in low voices, then swept from the room together.  

As he walked past him, Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed gently.  

"You must go deep inside the castle, Harry, and don't worry, we will protect you.  But you must stay_ inside the__ castle."_

Before Harry could ask anymore questions, Dumbledore had gone and only Aragorn remained with him.  He stared up at the great man, who looked fierce in his battle attire.  Harry was comforted by the determined look in his eyes.  It was good to have a man like Aragorn on your side.  You certainly wouldn't want to be fighting _against_ him.  

"Don't you have to get into position or something?" Harry asked, nodding through the window at the Orcs, still marching towards the castle.

"This is my position," Aragorn said simply.  

"Huh?" was Harry's intelligent response.

"I made a promise to Frodo," Aragorn said softly.  "I promised to protect him because he is the ring-bearer.  He must do what I, and many others, cannot.  Now he is hidden inside this castle and trusts in you, Harry Potter to keep him safe.  Therefore it is my job to keep _you safe, so that I may keep my promise.  I pledge myself to protect you, Harry, throughout this battle and from the wizard Voldemort.  I will do everything in my power to keep you – and Frodo and Sam – safe from harm."_

"Oh, er, thanks," Harry said awkwardly.  He felt a hundred times better to have Aragorn as a personal bodyguard whilst Hogwarts was under siege.  But he wasn't sure what a person was supposed to say in a situation like this.

Luckily, Aragorn was all business.  Grabbing several weapons from the table and thrusting one large-ish dagger into Harry's hands, he said, "We must get further inside the castle."

So Harry and Aragorn left as well, and the great hall was empty again.

-------------------

"I must be mad," Ron muttered to himself as he, Hermione, Neville, Fred, George and Lee Jordan tiptoed single file along one of Hogwarts great corridors.  

"Sshh, Ron," Hermione hissed.  "Someone'll hear us."

"Yeah, maybe one of those seven-foot tall warriors out there with the big swords and crossbows," Ron replied sarcastically.  "Oh, that's right, I forgot, we're _looking_ for them."

"Ron," Hermione whispered crossly, "you know why we're here.  Now do you want to help Harry or not?"

"Of course I do."

"I just wish you hadn't let the others come along," Hermione pondered, glancing down the line at Neville, Lee and the twins.  "Two of us would've fitted under the invisibility cloak.  It would've made getting out of here a lot easier."

"If McGonagall sees us we're in trouble," she heard George say from the back.  "What's the hold-up up there?"

"I can't hear anything," Ron said to Hermione, listening out for the sounds of a teacher.  "Let's move."

One by one the students made their way down the great staircase quickly and quietly.  For once, the moving stairs did not impede them but slipped neatly into place as if they knew the seriousness of the situation.  When they reached the empty hall, the six paused as Ron took out the Marauder's map from beneath his robes.  

"I can't see Harry," he said, peering at the map.  "Hang on a sec – there's something weird here."  He handed the map to Hermione.  "Look at that."

Hermione glanced down at the map.  Just as she thought she caught sight of Harry's name, the map blurred over.  Legolas and the others from Middle Earth were not on the map at all.

"It must be Dumbledore's magic," she said at last.  "He and Gandalf must be using some powerful charms – it's even affected the Marauder's Map."

"So what do we do now?" Ron asked.  "Harry could be anywhere."

"Well," Hermione thought for a moment.  "We'll have to find another way to help.  There must be something we can do.  Hogwarts is under attack."

"She's right," Fred nodded.  "This is _our school and I'm not going to let those filthy creatures run all over it.  Or You-Know-Who!"_

"Well said, Fred," George agreed and Lee Jordan nodded too.  "What do you say, Neville?"

"I want to help too," Neville piped up, nervously.  

Hermione nodded.  "Good.  Then I suggest we find Legolas and the others and see if we can help them.  He and Gimli were in charge of the battle I think.  They must be around the front of the castle."

"_Legolas_?" Ron questioned, halting the others in their tracks as they prepared to act on Hermione's plan.  "Oh, you would want to find _him."_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, irritated by Ron's tone.

"Nothing," Ron shrugged, "it's just interesting how quickly you've given up trying to find Harry.  But I guess if it means you can get closer to your new friend…"

"Oh, _Ron_, grow up!" Hermione sighed in exasperation.  "Maybe I want to find Legolas for no other reason than because I think we can help him.  What's the alternative?  Go and find Dumbledore?  Somehow I don't think he'd be too pleased to see us at the moment."

As they spoke, an enormous roar erupted from outside and the sound of clashing metal and flying arrows ricocheted around the castle.  

"Listen, if you two could finish your lover's quarrel some other time, that'd be great," George said hurriedly.  "I don't think now's quite the time."    

As they spoke, the sound of a window smashing punctured the air.  As one, they all ran through the entrance hall to the front of the castle, just in time to see Gimli lunge his axe into the centre of an enormous warrior figure.  

"Urgh," Fred grimaced, taking half a step back.  "That's grim."

Taking a good look around, Hermione saw Gimli, Merry and Pippin all in the middle of the fighting.  Merry and Pippin, despite their size, seemed to have the upper hand in their battles, being quick enough and small enough to escape the clumsy blows of the Uruk-Hai.  Gimli, meanwhile, was taking down one after another with a ferocious roar each time.  She couldn't see Legolas, but from the accurately-placed arrows sticking out of various bodies on the ground, she knew he had to be nearby.  

"What do we do, Hermione?" Neville called out, his eyes as round as saucers at the carnage in front of him.  

"Curse them, Neville!" she called back.  "Anything that will stop them; even jelly-legs!  It doesn't matter."

Hermione glanced over at Ron who nodded determinedly.  Both of them took out their wands at the same moment and shouted "Petrificus Totalus".  Immediately two Uruk-Hai, who had been about to lunge a tree in the direction of the castle door went rigid and fell to the ground with a crash.  Gimli the dwarf made a grunt of approval as he saw the warriors fall.  

Spurred on by their success, all of the Hogwarts lot started shooting curses out in every direction.  Ron, Hermione and Neville stuck to stunning spells, but Fred, George and Lee saw no reason not to practise their best joke curses, and soon the battlefield was covered with Uruk-Hai dancing around or covered with boils or sprouting hair.  

"Why don't they come nearer?" Ron hissed at Hermione when he could get within talking distance.  "They're just lining up to be knocked right down."

Hermione looked and saw that Ron was right.  The huge army of Orcs and goblins always stayed at least 15m from the castle itself, allowing those defending it to have a good shot at whomever they wished.

"I don't think they _can_ get nearer, Ron," Hermione guessed, watching closely as Gimli battled with one Uruk-Hai who seemed to take a step back every time Gimli lured him closer to the castle.  "It must be Dumbledore again – the castle is protected.  Harry and Frodo must be inside.  Hey, everyone!" Hermione called out, trying to get the attention of the other students.  Stay near to the castle – they can't come too close.  Stand by the walls and you'll be safer."

"Yeah, it's just the arrows and heavy flying objects you've got to watch," Ron added, ducking as a large toadstool sailed over his head.

The others nodded, all except Neville, who, Hermione realised to her horror, had ventured far out beyond the safety zone.  He couldn't have heard her warning and was close to being surrounded by Orc.

"Oh no!" she cried out.  She glanced around her for help.  "Ron, look!  It's Neville – he's too far away.  He's going to get hurt."

"Hi Neville!  Come back!" Ron shouted loudly, but it was no good.

Neville was charging valiantly forwards, shouting out the stunning charm in a high, urgent voice in the direction of every warrior he saw.  He was not aiming particularly well, either, and several charms were being reflected off shields or armour.  Hermione flinched as she watched Neville narrowly miss being hit by one of his own rebounded spells.  Well away from the castle now, he was still knocking down Uruk-hai but they had started to surround him and soon he was trapped in the middle of a group of angry, roaring creatures.  

There was a slight pause before Neville looked around him and realised the situation.  The Uruk-hai were moving towards him, forming a tighter and tighter circle.  Neville looked back and saw the panicked faces of Ron and Hermione staring back at him from the safety of the school walls.  In his hand, the grip on his wand grew weaker as the sweat made his palms slippery.  He swallowed, and felt his chest tighten and constrict with fear.  Closing his eyes tightly, Neville held out his arm and got himself ready…

"AAAaaggghhhrrr, rrrooaarrggghhh!"  An enormous roar erupted from nearby and Neville felt a gust of wind go over him.  Opening one eye, he saw a gap where two Uruks had been stood just moments before and saw another gap appear as Gimli downed a third.  He just had time to sigh with relief before one of the remaining Uruk-hai grabbed him and lifted him off the ground.  

Gimli immediately ran to his aid but was impeded by several more warriors who got in the way.  When he finally reached Neville, he raised his axe, only for the Uruk holding the boy to fall to the ground, with Neville landing somewhere nearby.  

"Ahhrr, Legolas!  That one was mine!" Gimli cried, glancing with distaste at the felled Orc, who had an arrow in his neck.  

Hermione and Ron, who had been watching the whole episode breathlessly, glanced up in the direction of Gimli's shout and saw Legolas above them, stood upon the castle wall, bow aloft with an enormous box of arrows beside him.       

"Then you should be quicker next time!" Legolas shouted back down to Gimli.  "And move a little to the left."

Gimli stepped to the side as another arrow from Legolas' bow whistled past him and hit an Orc behind him.  

"Elves!  Always showing off," Gimli grunted.  "Come along now, lad," he added, helping Neville to his feet.  "Get back to your friends, we need you to keep knocking these Uruk-hai down.  I will admit that those wands of yours are mighty impressive weapons."

----------------

Somewhere towards the back of the Uruk-hai, Voldemort stood in perfect stillness, with a quivering, jittery Wormtail at his side.  

"Tell me, why can our warriors get no nearer to the castle?" he asked, softly hissing.  "And tell me, Wormtail, how a small group of children and animals can stop these creatures that were made for death and destruction?"

"I don't know, my Lord," Wormtail answered nervously.  "Maybe these people from the other world are stronger than we thought."

"No," Voldemort shook his head patiently, with a thin, lifeless smile that scared Wormtail more than all the Orcs put together.  "No, it is not that ramshackle band of do-gooders.  Only magic can be stopping the Uruk-hai breaking through.  There is some force preventing them reaching the castle.  This is Dumbledore's work."

"D-D-Dumbledore?"

"Yes.  Which means the ring is inside.  We must get into the castle!"  Voldemort was suddenly shouting, his voice trembling with rage.  "And yet a whole army cannot do it!  There must be another way…"

"I think there is, my Lord," Wormtail said calmly.  For once, his brain seemed to be working and he knew his master would be pleased with what he had to say.  "There is another way into the castle – a secret passage.  It goes deep underneath the ground and may not be protected by Dumbledore's spell."

Voldemort turned slowly around, his great height dwarfing Wormtail.  

"A secret passage?" he repeated very slowly.

"Yes, Master," Wormtail answered, less assuredly.  "That would be some help to us, wouldn't it?"

Voldemort paused for a moment before slowly nodding his head.  "Yes, Wormtail, yes, I believe it will."

To be continued…  Please read/review


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